South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that Seoul would not deploy troops or military assets in a way that could draw the country into the Middle East conflict, while saying the government was considering measures to protect its citizens and commercial shipping.
“There will be no dispatch of troops that will lead to involvement in a conflict. There will be no engagement or involvement in war,” Lee said at a televised news conference, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Lee said South Korea needed to protect its commercial vessels, crude oil shipments and citizens amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Seoul is reviewing whether to expand the role of its naval presence in the region, Reuters reported.
South Korea has maintained the Cheonghae anti-piracy naval unit in the Gulf of Aden, and the government has been considering whether it could play a greater role in protecting shipping routes.
Lee’s comments come amid pressure from the United States for greater support over the conflict involving Iran. He reiterated that any South Korean measures would not involve entering the war.
