Blue House: Korea-France Leaders Discuss Hormuz... No Troop Deployment Decision Made

On September 8 (local time), the Office of the President announced that President Lee Jaemyung and French President Emmanuel Macron held a summit and broadened their consensus on key issues, including the Strait of Hormuz. However, the Office emphasized that the discussions between the two leaders did not pertain specifically to the deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz.

On the same day, National Security Advisor Wi Sungrak held a briefing in downtown Paris, stating, "During their private luncheon, the two leaders exchanged views not only on bilateral issues, but also on major international issues such as the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the war in Ukraine. Through this, the two leaders expanded their consensus on key issues and discussed ways to further strengthen strategic cooperation, thereby reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two countries."

Regarding this, a senior official from the Office of the President met with reporters on site and explained, "Today, we discussed the international community’s question regarding the freedom of navigation and regional stability in the Strait of Hormuz. In particular, President Lee, recognizing the utmost importance of stability in the strait, maintained the basic position of specifying ways to contribute based on the consensus of our people."

When asked whether the deployment of troops was discussed at the summit, this official clarified, "It would not be accurate to say that troop deployment was the topic of today’s discussions." He elaborated, "The discussions were centered on the issue of safe navigation in the strait, as proposed by France and the United Kingdom, and on how Korea can contribute to and participate in international solidarity. The talks took place in the context of Korea's intention to make substantive contributions."

Asked whether dispatching a Ministry of National Defense field inspection team near the Strait of Hormuz was part of preparations for deployment, the official responded, "The review is ongoing, but no decisions have been made. Sending the inspection team should also be understood as part of the review process." Regarding the prospect that a National Security Council (NSC) meeting may soon address troop deployment, the official said, "While there is a general direction regarding how to pursue international cooperation, the details are still under review," choosing not to comment further.

Meanwhile, regarding Iran's objections to Korea considering military action, the official said, "There has not been any significant response or statement from anyone. Since nothing concrete has been decided and we are still at the review stage, there is nothing specific at this point," he explained.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.