(5th LD) Lee says S. Korea reviewing possible contribution to Hormuz but will not get involved in war

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(ATTN: UPDATES with more comments in last 3 paras) By Park Boram

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday highlighted the need for the country to protect its citizens and national interests in the Strait of Hormuz but said there will be no troop dispatch that might lead to the country's involvement in an overseas conflict.

"Let it be clear. There will be no dispatch of troops that will lead to involvement in a conflict. There will be no engagement or involvement in war," Lee said in a televised press conference.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Sept. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

"The principle of no engagement or involvement in war has been observed so far and will continue to be observed in the future," he asserted.

The president's remarks came as Seoul is deliberating making what it calls "contributions" to ensuring freedom of navigation along the key transit route in the face of mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.

A South Korean on-site investigation team returned home last week from a mission to the United Arab Emirates to assess the overall Middle East safety situation, in an apparent sign of preparations for a possible military dispatch.

The president said it was also clear that the country needs to conduct "at least the minimum level of activities" to safeguard its citizens, ships and the transportation route for crude oil in the area, as other countries do.

South Korea's Cheonghae military unit has expanded the scope of its mission to carry out relevant activities in the area, but "it is true that we are reviewing and thinking about ways to strengthen (measures) on this," he said.

Asked about the possibility of resuming dialogue between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump, Lee said, "The possibility cannot be ruled out although it would be admittedly difficult," adding he could not pin down how likely it was.

"It is clear that we should do our utmost to make the possibility come true," the president said, adding that the dialogue, if resumed, would serve as an important stepping stone for ensuring inter-Korean relations and peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

"The resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue would be far easier than resuming inter-Korean dialogue and help resume dialogue between the two Koreas," he said.

"I am continuing to play my role as a preliminary mediator to make North Korea-U.S. dialogue possible," he added.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference on Sept. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

The press conference, the seventh since Lee took office in June last year, came as Lee's approval ratings have plummeted to their lowest point in the mid-30 percent range in recent weeks, especially among young voters, mainly due to runaway housing prices and other political controversies.

Addressing domestic issues, the president reaffirmed that he had no intention of seeking reelection through constitutional revision, also noting his reelection is impossible under the Constitution.

"I once again make it clear that I have no intention to seek reelection," he told a televised press conference.

His remarks follow repeated calls from the opposition bloc for the president to declare his intentions, accusing him of seeking reelection, despite a constitutional clause that stipulates any changes to the presidential system shall not apply to the president in office at the time of a revision.

"My reelection through constitutional revision is constitutionally impossible," Lee said, while describing the current Constitution as outdated and stressing the need to amend it through reasonable discussion and public consensus.

Lee also addressed his declining approval ratings, saying that through deliberations he had come to realize that "the public is always right," and that all problems were due to his "own shortcomings."

The president additionally asked the National Assembly not to seek the cancellation of his indictments in a bill aimed at an independent-counsel investigation into prosecutors' inquiries into high-profile cases involving him.

The ruling Democratic Party submitted the bill earlier this year, accusing prosecutors under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol government of indicting Lee on fabricated charges in a real-estate development corruption case and others. The bill, still pending at the National Assembly, includes provisions effectively allowing the special counsel to nullify the indictments.

The bill, combined with Lee's prosecution reform, has fueled opposition accusations that Lee was trying to have his own indictments cancelled after a number of trials he faced were suspended following his election and inauguration.

"On this occasion, I clearly ask the National Assembly to delete the provisions on the special counsel's authority to handle indictments and focus solely on finding the truth," Lee said.

Still, he supported the need for a special counsel investigation into suspected fabrication of charges against him, arguing that politically motivated investigations under the Yoon administration hurt not only him but also journalists, politicians and government officials.

"Cases of fabricated indictments like these need to be fairly and transparently looked into to find the truth through a special counsel probe (initiated) by the National Assembly," the president said.

Citizens at a market in Daegu, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, watch President Lee Jae Myung's press conference on the television on Sept. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

Speaking of Seoul's ongoing negotiations to seal its first investment project in the U.S. under a broader 2025 tariff reduction agreement with the Trump administration, Lee said the government is in a "fierce debate" with Washington to finalize it in a way that benefits both countries.

The president also reiterated his commitment to stabilizing the runaway housing market, pledging to take all necessary measures, including promptly increasing the housing supply.

He also admitted policy shortcomings in the adoption of single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), after the government came under heated criticism that the funds, launched in May, amplified stock market volatility.

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(5th LD) Lee says S. Korea reviewing possible contribution to Hormuz but will not get involved in war

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（注意：最后三段有更新，包含更多评论）作者：朴宝蓝

首尔，9月18日（韩联社）——韩国总统李在明周五强调，韩国有必要保护其公民和国家利益在霍尔木兹海峡的安全，但他表示，不会派遣军队前往该地区，以免韩国卷入海外冲突。

李在电视新闻发布会上说：“我要明确指出，不会派遣任何军队卷入冲突，也不会参与任何战争。”

2026年9月18日，韩国总统李在明在首尔青瓦台举行记者招待会。（韩联社）

他断言：“迄今为止，不参与战争的原则一直得到遵守，将来也将继续得到遵守。”

在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普不断施加压力之际，首尔正在考虑如何做出所谓的“贡献”，以确保这条重要过境路线的航行自由。总统发表上述言论之际，首尔方面正考虑如何应对这一问题。

上周，韩国一支实地调查小组结束了对阿拉伯联合酋长国的考察任务返回韩国，该任务旨在评估中东的整体安全形势。这显然是韩国为可能派遣军事力量做准备的迹象。

总统表示，很明显，该国需要像其他国家一样，开展“至少最低限度的活动”，以保障其公民、船舶和该地区原油运输路线的安全。

他说：“韩国清海部队扩大了其在该地区开展相关活动的任务范围，但确实我们正在审查和思考如何加强这方面的（措施）。”

当被问及朝鲜领导人金正恩和特朗普恢复对话的可能性时，李表示：“虽然承认这很困难，但不能排除这种可能性”，并补充说他无法确定这种可能性有多大。

总统表示：“我们显然应该尽最大努力使之成为现实。”他还补充说，如果对话恢复，将成为确保朝韩关系以及朝鲜半岛和平稳定的重要一步。

他说：“恢复朝美对话远比恢复朝韩对话容易得多，而且有助于恢复朝韩对话。”

“我将继续发挥初步调解人的作用，使朝美对话成为可能，”他补充道。

2026年9月18日，李在明总统在新闻发布会上发表讲话。（韩联社）

这是李光耀自去年6月上任以来的第七次记者会。近几周来，李光耀的支持率暴跌至30%左右的最低点，尤其是在年轻选民中，这主要是由于房价飙升和其他政治争议造成的。

在谈到国内问题时，总统重申他无意通过修改宪法寻求连任，并指出根据宪法，他不可能连任。

“我再次明确表示，我没有寻求连任的打算，”他在电视新闻发布会上说道。

此前，反对派阵营多次呼吁总统表明其意图，指责他寻求连任，尽管宪法中有一项条款规定，对总统制的任何修改均不适用于修改时在任的总统。

李说：“通过修改宪法来实现我的连任在宪法上是不可能的。”他还形容现行宪法已经过时，并强调需要通过合理的讨论和公众共识来修改宪法。

李光耀还谈到了他不断下降的支持率，他说，经过深思熟虑，他意识到“民意永远是对的”，所有问题都是由于他“自身的不足”造成的。

总统还要求国民议会不要寻求取消对他的起诉，该法案旨在对检察官就涉及他的高调案件进行的调查进行独立检察官调查。

执政的共同民主党今年早些时候提交了这项法案，指控前尹锡悦政府时期的检察官捏造罪名，在房地产开发腐败案和其他案件中起诉李明博。该法案目前仍在国会审议中，其中包含的条款实际上允许特别检察官撤销这些起诉。

该法案与李光耀的检控改革相结合，加剧了反对派的指责，即李光耀在当选和就职后，因其面临的多项审判被暂停，试图取消对他的起诉。

李说：“在此，我明确要求国会删除有关特别检察官处理起诉的权力条款，并专注于查明真相。”

尽管如此，他仍然支持对涉嫌捏造针对他的指控进行特别检察官调查，并辩称尹锡悦政府出于政治动机进行的调查不仅伤害了他，也伤害了记者、政治家和政府官员。

总统表示：“像这样捏造的起诉案件需要通过国民议会发起的特别检察官调查进行公平、透明的调查，以查明真相。”

2026年9月18日，在距离首尔东南约240公里的大邱市，市民们在市场里观看韩国总统李在明的记者招待会电视直播。（韩联社）

谈到首尔正在与特朗普政府就一项更广泛的2025年关税减让协议达成协议，以敲定其在美国的首个投资项目，李表示，韩国政府正在与华盛顿进行“激烈的辩论”，以期最终达成一项对两国都有利的协议。

总统还重申了他稳定失控的房地产市场的决心，承诺将采取一切必要措施，包括迅速增加住房供应。

他还承认，在采用单只杠杆交易所交易基金（ETF）方面存在政策缺陷。此前，政府因这些基金于5月推出而受到强烈批评，称其加剧了股市波动。

（导语）赵外长前往华盛顿与卢比奥就投资、霍尔木兹海峡和朝鲜问题举行会谈。

（导语）李与国际能源署署长讨论应对能源危机

李誓言要严厉打击跨国犯罪和剥头皮行为。

首尔将举办首届中亚峰会，讨论关键矿产和供应链合作等议题。

（导语）李沧东执导的《可能的爱》荣获威尼斯电影节评审团大奖

（第二条）李沧东执导的《可能的爱》荣获威尼斯电影节评审团大奖

（新闻焦点）李沧东：这位韩国电影大师以其深邃的电影视角捕捉人类尊严

（第三名）李沧东执导的《可能的爱》荣获威尼斯电影节评审团大奖

韩国和美国将在考虑部署霍尔木兹号卫星系统之际举行高级别防务会谈

超过300名韩国工人就去年在佐治亚州的移民突袭事件向特朗普政府提出质疑：CNN

（第三份报告）朝鲜向东海发射多枚短程弹道导弹：联合参谋本部

（第二轮投票）性别平等部长提名人选因争议不断而退出竞选

朝鲜辅助船在韩国东海岸附近沉没

韩国和法国举行联合空中演习，以增强互操作性

据报道，多达10万名朝鲜工人被派往国外，其中一些人参与了俄罗斯无人机的生产。

据消息人士透露，朝鲜副外长将于下周出席联合国大会。

（导语）朝鲜领导人妹妹抨击美国主导的海上联合军演，誓言加强核武库建设

朝鲜国防部副部长出席在北京举行的国际论坛

韩国-中亚商业峰会

朝鲜体育部长抵达日本参加亚运会

（第五条）李表示，韩国正在考虑是否向霍尔木兹海峡地区提供援助，但不会卷入战争。