Lee Jae-myung says South Korea will not deploy military forces to the Strait of Hormuz

Xinhua News Agency, Seoul, September 18 (Reporter Chen Yi, Sun Yiran) South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 18th regarding the deployment of military forces to the Strait of Hormuz that South Korea will not send troops to participate in or intervene in the conflict in Iran.

Lee Jae-myung made the statement during a press conference at the Blue House on the same day. He said that South Korea will not send troops or deploy military assets in any form, which has been a principle that South Korea has consistently upheld and will not change in the future.

Lee Jae-myung also emphasized that, like other countries, South Korea will take minimal actions to protect its merchant ships, crude oil transport routes, and the safety of its citizens. Currently, the Cheonghae Unit has been deployed to the area, and the military is responding to threats to shipping and national security, including piracy. South Korea is indeed studying and considering appropriately strengthening its deployment in this regard.

Several South Korean media reported on the 4th that the South Korean military is advancing plans to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei warned on social media on the 7th that other countries should not militarily intervene in the Strait of Hormuz and become "accomplices" of U.S. aggression. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin stated during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian on the 11th that South Korea has not yet decided whether to deploy military forces to the Strait of Hormuz.