South Korea's Lee rejects Middle East military role in Iran war — SkimNews
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- President Lee Jae Myung ruled out deploying South Korean military assets to the Middle East in any form that would enter the Iran war, but said Seoul must do 'the minimum' to protect commercial shipping and crude shipments through the region.
- South Korea has been reviewing a possible Strait of Hormuz deployment — an idea proving domestically unpopular — while maintaining an existing anti-piracy naval mission off Somalia, a presence Lee said would continue.
- Donald Trump has publicly criticized Seoul for insufficient Iran war support and scaled back major joint US-South Korea military drills this summer, a move the source notes unsettled the US ally.
- On US-South Korea trade, Lee said commercial viability concerns are the main sticking point in negotiations over Seoul's $350 billion US investment commitment from last year's deal that lowered Korean tariffs to 15%, with both sides 'nearing an agreement.'
- Lee said a Trump-Kim Jong Un meeting is possible in coming months and that coordination is ongoing, while noting North Korean state media has 'remained largely silent' on Trump's repeated calls for talks.
- Lee firmly ruled out seeking a consecutive term, saying his presidency will end in 2030 as the Constitution requires, and pushed ahead with plans to designate Seoul as the economic capital and Sejong as the political capital.
Why it matters: Seoul is balancing an alliance with a US president who publicly criticized it for insufficient Iran war support and retaliated by scaling back joint military drills, against domestic opposition to Hormuz deployment. The $350 billion US investment commitment tied to 15% tariffs appears close to resolution, preserving the economic core of the bilateral relationship even as the security dimension visibly frays.
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