South Korea says it will not deploy its military to fight in the Strait of Hormuz

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung affirmed on Friday that Seoul will not deploy its military to intervene in the war between the United States and Iran, responding to reports that he was considering deploying forces in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at a press conference at the Blue House presidential office in Seoul, Lee stated, “There will be no involvement or intervention in the war. We will not deploy troops or military resources in this manner.”

He added, “We have maintained this principle so far. This principle will remain unchanged in the future.”

Lee further stated, “Some fear that this could escalate to the level of deploying forces to intervene in, participate in, or support the war, or that we might send combat troops, or that our military personnel could be placed under the command of foreign forces and put at risk. But, I will say it again clearly and frankly: there will be no deployment of troops to the battlefield.”

He affirmed, “We have adhered to the principle of non-participation and non-intervention in the war so far, and we will continue to uphold it in the future.”

US President Donald Trump is pressuring his ally, South Korea, to provide assistance in the ongoing war in the Middle East, which has led Iran to close the strait that, prior to the conflict, carried one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports.

The South Korean government announced at the beginning of September that it was considering making “contributions” to US security efforts in the strait, provided that such contributions do not affect the operational capabilities of its armed forces.

It also announced the dispatch of a team to assess the situation in the strait, emphasizing that no decision has yet been made regarding the deployment of military forces.