Cheong Wa Dae says Lee's 'no war intervention' remark not a rejection of Trump's Hormuz request

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SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday that President Lee Jae Myung's remarks ruling out troop dispatches that could involve the country in a war were not a refusal of U.S. President Donald Trump's request for Seoul to send forces to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The presidential office clarified the position after the New York Times reported that Lee's comments at a press conference Friday amounted to a rejection of Trump's appeal for Seoul's military cooperation in the Middle East.

"Lee did not turn down Trump's request for South Korea's cooperation on Middle East-related issues during yesterday's press conference," a presidential official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "The government has been reviewing practical ways to contribute in close communication with the international community, including the United States, in order to protect our citizens and safeguard national interests."

Seoul will continue to examine concrete options under its stated principle of not intervening in a war or combat, the official added.

On Friday, Lee said during the nationally televised press conference that "there will be no dispatch of troops that engages or intervenes in a war," while noting that the Cheonghae Unit has already been deployed to the region to counter piracy and other threats to the safety of the Korean people, and that Seoul is reviewing ways to strengthen that role.

President Lee Jae Myung answers a question from a reporter during a nationally televised news conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Sept. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Cheong Wa Dae says Lee's 'no war intervention' remark not a rejection of Trump's Hormuz request

这将使谷歌能够向您展示与您的搜索匹配或相关的韩联社新闻文章。

首尔，9月19日（韩联社）——青瓦台周六表示，李在明总统排除派遣军队可能使韩国卷入战争的言论，并非拒绝美国总统唐纳德·特朗普要求首尔向具有战略意义的霍尔木兹海峡派遣军队的请求。

在《纽约时报》报道李明博周五在新闻发布会上的言论相当于拒绝了特朗普呼吁首尔在中东进行军事合作之后，总统府澄清了这一立场。

一位不愿透露姓名的总统府官员告诉记者：“李明博在昨天的记者会上没有拒绝特朗普提出的韩国在中东问题上进行合作的要求。政府一直在与包括美国在内的国际社会密切沟通，探讨切实可行的方案，以保护我国公民并维护国家利益。”

该官员补充说，首尔将继续在不干预战争或冲突的既定原则下，研究具体方案。

周五，李在全国电视新闻发布会上表示，“不会派遣军队参与或干预战争”，同时指出清海部队已经部署到该地区打击海盗和其他威胁韩国人民安全的因素，首尔正在研究如何加强该部队的作用。

2026年9月18日，韩国总统李在明在首尔青瓦台举行的全国电视新闻发布会上回答记者提问。（韩联社）

sshim@yna.co.kr（完）

（第二轮辩论）赵承熙和卢比奥同意共同努力，争取在有关美国投资项目的谈判中取得“良好”成果。

（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。

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（第三条）李表示，不会派遣任何可能导致卷入海外冲突的部队。

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青瓦台称李明博的“不干预战争”言论并非拒绝特朗普的霍尔木兹海峡请求。