'No troops for war': South Korea's Lee rules out deployment to overseas conflicts

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ruled out sending troops to any overseas operation that could pull the country into a war, while saying Seoul must still protect its citizens and vital oil supply routes around the Strait of Hormuz.Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Lee said South Korea would not take part in an overseas conflict but would consider limited measures to protect its nationals and the route used to transport crude oil, Yonhap News Agency reported."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.Seoul weighs limited action around HormuzLee said South Korea nevertheless needed to carry out "the minimum level of activities" required to protect its citizens and the transportation route for crude oil in the region.South Korea's Cheonghae military unit, which operates in the area, has already expanded the scope of its mission to carry out such activities."It is true that we are reviewing and thinking about ways to strengthen (measures) on this," Lee said.The remarks come as countries assess how to protect shipping and energy supplies around the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for global oil transportation.Trump says Seoul rejected Iran requestLee's comments also come weeks after US President Donald Trump said he had asked South Korea to join Washington in the "Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran".Trump said in an August post on Truth Social that Lee had declined the request."While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’ Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump said.Trump also announced a substantial reduction in annual US-South Korea joint military exercises. He cited their cost, his "very good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and concerns that the drills could send an "inappropriate and hostile" message to Pyongyang."Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I was not happy with the fact that the United States had, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Trump said.Lee rules out bid for another termLee also addressed domestic political speculation during the press conference, saying he would not seek another presidential term."I once again make it clear that I have no intention to seek reelection," he said.Lee said seeking reelection was also constitutionally impossible under the current system. The South Korean Constitution states that a constitutional change affecting the presidential system cannot apply to the president who is in office when the amendment is made.The remarks came after opposition parties repeatedly called on Lee to clarify his intentions, while accusing him of seeking a way to remain in power.Friday's event was Lee's seventh press conference since taking office in June 2025. Yonhap described it as unusual because his earlier press conferences were generally linked to occasions such as anniversaries of his administration.The press conference was announced three days earlier and came amid a recent decline in Lee's approval ratings, which have fallen into the mid-30 per cent range, particularly among younger voters, according to Yonhap.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.