Lee said at a news conference on Friday that South Korea would not make any deployment that could pull the country into combat. “There will be no dispatch of troops that will lead to involvement in a conflict,” he said. “There will be no engagement or involvement in war.”
The president nevertheless left open a limited security role around the Strait of Hormuz, saying Seoul must protect its citizens, commercial vessels and crude oil shipments. He said the government was examining whether measures could be strengthened without crossing into participation in military operations.
South Korea’s Cheonghae Unit, deployed for anti-piracy and maritime security duties, has widened activities protecting shipping and nationals in waters near the strait. Lee said Seoul was considering ways to reinforce those efforts, while stressing that combat troops would not be sent and South Korean personnel would not be placed in arrangements that exposed them to involvement in the war.
The distinction addresses weeks of pressure from Washington for allies to contribute more to securing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global energy supplies. Trump has criticised South Korea for what he described as insufficient support and has repeatedly called on countries dependent on the waterway to help keep it open.
Seoul had been studying possible military options as the conflict disrupted shipping and raised concerns over energy security. The government sent an assessment team to the United Arab Emirates to examine conditions in the region, while officials weighed how any contribution could be structured without drawing South Korea directly into hostilities.
The issue has carried particular sensitivity because of South Korea’s security alliance with the United States and the presence of US forces on the Korean Peninsula. Trump has linked his criticism of Seoul’s Middle East posture to the broader burden-sharing debate, arguing that Washington carries substantial defence responsibilities for an ally facing a nuclear-armed North Korea.
Lee’s statement now establishes a public boundary for any South Korean contribution. Protective operations for shipping or nationals may be expanded, but participation in attacks, combat missions or a deployment designed to support the war itself has been excluded.
The president also acknowledged that the line between maritime protection and military involvement could become difficult to manage in a conflict zone. His government has therefore sought to frame any possible action around freedom of navigation and the safety of South Korean citizens rather than support for US combat operations.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to Seoul’s calculations because South Korea relies heavily on imported energy and uses sea lanes through the Gulf for crude supplies. Disruption to tanker traffic has increased the economic stakes while complicating decisions over how far allied governments should go in helping secure the route.
Iran has warned countries against joining US-led military activity around the strait, adding another constraint for Seoul as it balances alliance obligations, shipping security and the risk of escalation. South Korean officials have also faced domestic opposition to any deployment that could be interpreted as participation in the conflict.
Lee’s comments came as Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Hormuz security among the issues expected to feature alongside trade and investment negotiations. Seoul and Washington are also working through details of South Korea’s $350 billion investment commitment in the United States under a trade agreement.
The president said separately that the commercial viability of that investment package remained a sticking point, though the two sides were nearing an agreement. South Korea committed to the investment in exchange for Washington reducing tariffs on Korean imports to 15 per cent.
Lee also addressed diplomacy with North Korea, saying a meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could take place if several conditions aligned. He said Seoul would continue coordinating with Washington to make renewed dialogue possible.
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