SEOUL — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced Friday that his government will not deploy troops to intervene militarily in the Iran war, while confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump seeks dialogue with North Korea.
Lee emphasized during a press conference at the presidential Blue House that Seoul would uphold its principle of non-involvement in the conflict. His statement followed reports that Seoul was considering a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway critical to global energy supplies.
Lee reiterated three times that South Korea would not deploy forces in a manner that could lead to military intervention. "There will be no involvement or intervention in the war. We will not deploy troops or military assets in that manner," he said.
South Korea will, however, "carry out the minimum necessary activities" to protect its merchant ships and oil shipping routes, Lee said, without elaborating on the scope of such measures.
On North Korea, Lee said it was "clear" that Trump wants dialogue and that he is urging the U.S. president to engage. He confirmed Seoul is undertaking "preliminary coordination efforts" to facilitate a meeting between North Korea and the United States.
Trump announced last month his plan to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year. In recent interviews, Trump said it was important to "get along" with Kim and cited Pyongyang's possession of 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons. South Korean officials estimate North Korea has between 80 and 120 nuclear weapons.
North Korea has not provided a clear response to Trump's overtures for dialogue. Lee acknowledged that such a meeting "remains difficult, but is not impossible," stressing the need for every effort to make it happen.
Hours before Lee's comments, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused the United States of escalating regional tensions through frequent military drills and warned of a "more offensive" response from Pyongyang. A day earlier, she stated that only "idiots" believe North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons.
The United States and South Korea conducted a shorter version of their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises last month following an order from Trump to scale them back.
Trump recently complained in an interview that Washington had received "very little help" from other countries in the Iran conflict, specifically naming South Korea. In remarks to Fox News, Trump said the U.S. had offered allied nations the chance to participate but they declined.
