Blue House: President Lee Did Not Reject Trump’s Request for Middle East Cooperation

"Principle of Non-Involvement in War or Combat...
Review of Contribution Measures for National Interest Continues"


Blue House Refutes NYT Report of 'Rejecting Trump's Request'

The Blue House has stated that President Lee Jae-myung did not reject U.S. President Donald Trump's request for cooperation regarding the Middle East, contrary to a report by The New York Times (NYT). The presidential office clarified that President Lee's remarks about the principle of 'non-involvement in war' regarding the Strait of Hormuz did not amount to a rejection of the U.S. request for cooperation itself, and that the possibility of non-combat contributions remains open.

President Lee Jae-myung is answering reporters' questions at a press conference held at the Blue House reception hall on September 18, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On September 19, the Blue House announced to the press, "At the press conference yesterday (the 18th), President Lee did not reject President Trump's request for Korea’s cooperation regarding the Middle East."

The Blue House added, "The government has been reviewing substantive contribution measures to protect the people and defend the national interest, in close communication with the international community including the United States," and continued, "Concrete contribution measures will continue to be reviewed based on our principled stance of not participating in war or combat."

The reason the Blue House released this separate statement was that the NYT interpreted President Lee's comments at the press conference as a de facto rejection of President Trump's demands. On the 18th, the NYT published an article headlined, "Defying Trump, South Korean President Pledges Not to Send Troops to Iran," reporting that President Lee made clear he would not send troops or military assets to support a U.S.-led war against Iran. The article also described President Lee as having resisted pressure from the Trump administration.

The NYT referenced President Trump's earlier request to South Korea for "a little hand" regarding the Middle East and interpreted President Lee's comments as a rejection of this request. At the time, President Trump also remarked that President Lee had not responded to his request.

However, at the press conference the previous day, President Lee distinguished between deploying troops for war efforts and activities aimed at protecting Korean citizens and merchant vessels. President Lee stated, "We will not deploy troops to participate in or intervene in a war," emphasizing that "We have always abided by the principle of not deploying military assets in such a manner, and that principle will remain unchanged."

He further said, "Like other countries, we must, at a minimum, take actions to protect our own merchant vessels, oil transport routes, and the lives and safety of our citizens." Referring to the Cheonghae Unit, which has been carrying out missions near Somalia, he noted, "It is true that we are carefully considering and reviewing ways to strengthen these activities."

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