South Korea rejects military deployment to Middle East amid Trump pressure

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday clarified the country's position regarding sending troops to the Middle East.

The president ruled out any possibility of deploying military assets to the Middle East as it could entangle the country in the conflict ongoing for months.

“There won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly. We won’t deploy military assets in any form to that end,” Lee said at a ⁠news conference.

However, Lee highlighted that Seoul is reviewing its decision whether it should play a greater role in ensuring the safe navigation in the conflict-ridden region.

“[It] is also clear that we must do the minimum as other countries do to ​protect our commercial shipping and crude shipments, and also the safety of ‌our people,” he said.

While keeping a naval presence near Somalia for anti-piracy operations, South Korea has pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s demands to take on a broader military role in support of Washington's conflict with Iran.

For last month, the reports regarding Seoul’s taking active part in military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz gained momentum. But the idea drew fierce response from South Koreans.

Lee’s response came as Trump slammed the country for showing insufficient support for the US war with Iran. With this rebuke, he scaled back joint military drills that occurred between two nations this summer in the midst of regional tensions with North Korea.

Lee also shed light on progress in reaching the investment agreement with the US. According to the president, the deal is nearing to be signed despite certain clauses that were unacceptable for Seoul.

In 2025, South Korea committed to invest $350 billion in US manufacturing in return for Washington slashing tariffs to 15 percent on Korean goods.