Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday that he would not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but Seoul was reviewing whether to play a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region.
South Korea has maintained a naval presence off the coast of Somalia in an anti-piracy mission, while resisting calls from US President Donald Trump to play a more active military role in supporting Washington over the war in Iran.
He 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."
South Korea's government has been reviewing a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, although the idea is proving unpopular domestically.
Asked about progress in reaching an agreement with the United States on Seoul's US investment commitments under its trade deal with Washington, Lee said concern over the commercial viability of the package was the main sticking point.
Lee said there were elements that were difficult for Seoul to accept, but that the two sides were nearing an agreement.
South Korea committed last year to invest $350 billion in US manufacturing in return for Washington lowering tariffs on Korean imports to 15 per cent.
Lee, whose approval ratings have fallen sharply in recent months, said he was renewing his commitment to improving the lives of Koreans and said his term would end in 2030 as permitted by the Constitution. There have been questions about whether Lee and his Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, might try to amend the Constitution to enable him to seek re-election.
Lee also said he would push ahead with measures to ease the concentration of the current capital, Seoul, by designating Seoul as the economic capital and Sejong as the political capital.
