{
  "id": 8184738,
  "title": "South Korea will not send military to support US war on Iran, defying Trump pressure",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/south-korea-will-not-send-military-to-support-us-war-on-iran-defying",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T05:54:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian",
    "slug": "the-guardian",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/18/south-korea-will-not-send-military-to-support-us-war-on-iran-defying-trump-pressure"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea firmly rejected deploying its military to the Middle East to support the United States in its war against Iran, rejecting President Donald Trump's pressure to do so. President Lee Jae Myung made it clear during a press conference on Friday that the country would not be sending military assets into the region, stating \"There won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly.\" South Korea maintains a naval presence off the coast of Somalia as part of an anti-piracy mission, but reiterated that the country would only take a minimal role in protecting navigation in the region. The decision to not deploy military forces to support the US war on Iran came after Trump criticized South Korea's perceived insufficient support for the conflict and scaled back joint military drills between the two nations in the summer. South Korea's government has been debating the possibility of a military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, although the idea has encountered domestic opposition. When asked about the progress of reaching an agreement with the US regarding Seoul's US investment commitments under its trade deal with Washington, Lee acknowledged that concerns over the commercial viability of the package were a significant obstacle. He noted that while there were elements the two sides found difficult to accept, they were close to reaching an agreement. The South Korean president also suggested that a potential meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could take place in the coming months, although he emphasized that many factors would need to align for such a meeting to occur.",
  "summary": "Seoul resolves recent speculation over sending military to strait of Hormuz, saying ‘there won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war’ South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, has said he will not deploy the military to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, resisting calls from Donald Trump to support his war in Iran. “There won’t be deployment that would…",
  "key_points": [
    "South Korea rejects deploying military to support US war on Iran.",
    "President Lee Jae Myung states no deployment involving war.",
    "Concerns over commercial viability hinder US investment deal."
  ],
  "editors_take": "South Korea's rebuff of Trump's deployment request marks a limit to its support for US policy in the region, potentially straining bilateral relations and trade ties.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Asia Times",
        "title": "Houthi advance aids Iran but saps rebel support in Yemen",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/houthi-advance-aids-iran-but-saps-rebel-support-in-yemen",
        "published": "2026-09-18T04:45:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Interfax-Ukraine",
        "title": "Trump: US military base could be established in Poland soon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/trump-us-military-base-could-be-established-in-poland-soon",
        "published": "2026-09-18T06:06:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}