South Korea rules out military deployment in Middle East conflict

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Friday that his country will not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw it into conflict, stressing that Seoul is considering a larger role in safeguarding maritime navigation in the region.

South Korea maintains a naval presence off the coast of Somalia as part of anti-piracy operations, and has rejected calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to take a more active military role in support of Washington's campaign against Iran.

"There will be no military deployment that would entangle us in war or drag us into conflict. I can state this very clearly... We will not deploy military assets for such purposes in any form," Lee Jae-myung said at a press conference.

He added that South Korea should do the minimum necessary, as other countries do, to protect its commercial vessels, crude oil shipments, and the safety of its people. The South Korean government is studying the possibility of deploying military assets to the Strait of Hormuz, although the idea lacks strong domestic support.