SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that he would not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but that Seoul was reviewing whether to play a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region.
\n\nSouth Korea has maintained a naval presence off the coast of Somalia in an anti-piracy mission, while resisting calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to play a more active military role in supporting Washington over the war in Iran.
\n\n“There won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly,” Lee said at a news conference. “We won’t deploy military assets in any form to that end.”
\n\nHe added, however, that 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.”
\n\nTrump on canceled military exercises with South Korea
\n\nSouth Korea’s government has been reviewing a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, although the idea is proving unpopular domestically.
\n\nTrump has criticized Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/