韩国总统李在明明确拒绝美国对伊战事支援请求South Korean President Lee Rejects US Request for Iran War Support

在记者会上，李在明多次重申韩国不会向中东派遣作战部队，也不会将本国军队置于外国军事指挥之下。他强调首尔一直坚持不卷入战争的基本原则，这一立场不会发生改变。李在明承认在具体行动中区分防御性保护与直接军事介入存在现实难度，但政府设定了明确界限，绝不会跨越进入战争行动。

During the televised press conference, President Lee Jae Myung repeatedly stated that South Korea will not dispatch combat forces to the Middle East or place its personnel under foreign military command. He affirmed that Seoul has consistently adhered to the fundamental principle of avoiding entanglement in warfare, noting that this position remains firm. While acknowledging that distinguishing between defensive protection and direct military intervention poses practical challenges, Lee insisted that the government will strictly adhere to that boundary and avoid combat involvement.

将韩国部队置于外国指挥之下的敏感性，与李在明政府推进的安全议程直接相关。韩国政府当前正寻求在2030年之前从美军指挥体系手中收回战时作战指挥权。李在明强调，韩国曾派出实地调查团前往中东评估局势，尽管原定于周四举行的调查结果安全简报会最终并未如期举行，但政府维持不派遣战斗人员参战的既定决策。

The issue of placing troops under foreign command carries added sensitivity as Lee's administration pursues a target to regain wartime operational control over South Korean forces from the US military by 2030. South Korea had previously dispatched a fact-finding team to assess conditions in the Middle East. Although a planned security briefing detailing the team's findings was not held ahead of the conference, Lee reaffirmed that the core decision against deploying forces for combat operations remains unchanged.

为保障国家能源与运输安全，李在明指出韩国将维持最低限度的防卫行动，依托在中东海域执勤的海军反海盗清海部队保护本国商船、原油运输航线及海外公民安全。他提到政府正在考虑增强该部队的自卫防御能力，同时避免演变为直接军事干预。李在明还指出，其他数个国家也在霍尔木兹海峡附近部署了军事资产，其中部分国家专注于保护商业航运，另有部分国家则承诺参与战后恢复。

To safeguard energy supply lines and overseas nationals, President Lee stated that South Korea will maintain minimal defensive activities, relying on the Cheonghae Unit—a naval anti-piracy task force operating in Middle Eastern waters—to protect its merchant vessels and crude oil shipping routes. Lee noted that the government is considering options to enhance the unit's defensive capabilities without escalating into direct military intervention. He observed that several other nations have positioned military assets near the Strait of Hormuz, with some focusing strictly on protecting commercial shipping and citizens, while others have committed to post-conflict recovery efforts.

战前霍尔木兹海峡承担了韩国约70%的原油进口，并运送大量的天然气和石化原料。北韩大学院大学教授梁茂进表示，首尔承诺支持战后恢复海峡航行自由的努力，李在明的表态有助于平息国内关切，但华盛顿方面可能对此并不满意。庆南大学远东问题研究所研究员杜镇浩分析认为，李在明的声明表明首尔的任何部署行动将严格限于战后多国稳定工作，例如水雷清除行动。

The waterway is critical to South Korea's economy, having accounted for approximately 70 percent of the country's crude oil imports before the war, alongside a major share of natural gas and petrochemical feedstocks. Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said Seoul has committed to supporting post-war efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the strait, noting that Lee's stance addresses domestic concerns even if Washington is unlikely to welcome it. Doo Jin-ho, a research fellow at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, assessed that any potential deployment would be confined strictly to post-conflict multinational stabilization efforts, such as clearing sea mines.

美国政府此前多次公开对首尔拒绝协助对伊军事行动表达不满。美国总统特朗普上月在白宫向记者谈及他与李在明的通话内容时表示，他曾向李在明提出在伊朗问题上提供协助的请求，但遭到了李在明的明确拒绝。特朗普当时提及有数万名美军驻扎在当地保卫韩国，并对首尔不愿在伊朗行动中提供协助提出质疑，而韩国实际驻扎有约2.85万名美军。

The Trump administration has repeatedly singled out South Korea over its reluctance to assist the United States in the conflict against Iran. Speaking to reporters at the White House last month, US President Donald Trump recounted a telephone exchange in which President Lee Jae Myung turned down his direct request for support. Trump remarked that tens of thousands of American troops are stationed in the country to defend it, questioning why Seoul refused to assist in the military operation, though official figures place the actual US troop presence in South Korea at approximately 28,500 personnel.

除了霍尔木兹海峡局势，韩美两国还在协调一系列经贸与安全议题。双边议程涵盖韩国承诺的3500亿美元对美投资方案落实（其中包括用于造船业的1500亿美元投资）、针对酷澎（Coupang）等在美上市科技平台的监管审查，以及韩国获取核动力潜艇方面进展停滞的现状。在相关背景下，韩国外交部长官赵显已于周四启程前往华盛顿，与美国国务卿马尔科·卢比奥举行会谈。

Beyond maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, the two allies are currently navigating several contentious economic and security issues. The bilateral agenda includes implementing South Korea's commitment to a $350 billion investment package in the United States—which allocates $150 billion for the shipbuilding sector—alongside regulatory scrutiny over US-listed technology platforms such as Coupang and stalled progress regarding Seoul's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines. Amid these discussions, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun departed for Washington on Thursday to hold consultations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

在内政层面，李在明坚决拒绝出兵的立场受到国内舆论和政治环境的影响。数以百计的韩国民间、宗教和劳工团体近期举行集会抗议，强烈要求政府拒绝美方的军事介入要求，执政联盟内部也出现了反对军事行动的声音。朝鲜大学院大学教授池秉根分析指出，总统在出兵问题上划定清晰界限，是为了避免因近期房地产改革遭受打击的公众支持率进一步下滑。

Domestically, President Lee's refusal to send troops aligns with intense public opposition across South Korea. Hundreds of civic, religious, and labor organizations have staged rallies demanding that the government reject Washington's requests, with dissent also emerging inside the ruling coalition. Jhee Byong-kuen, a political science professor at Chosun University, noted that the president took a firm stance on the deployment issue to prevent further erosion of his falling approval ratings, which had already taken a hit following recent real estate reforms.

在处理对美同盟与中东局势的同时，李在明将注意力转向朝鲜半岛外交，表示韩国正在开展初步协调工作，以协助推动美朝恢复对话。李在明透露特朗普明确希望与朝鲜展开对话，并认为重启美朝接触比重启朝韩对话要容易得多；特朗普此前表示计划在今年晚些时候与金正恩会面。此外，韩国也在拓展其他地区伙伴关系，首尔于周三与中亚五国举行了首次总统级峰会，寻求与这些国家建立更深层次的经贸联系。

Alongside managing alliance tensions, Lee turned attention toward diplomatic initiatives on the Korean Peninsula, stating that South Korea is continuing preliminary coordination efforts to facilitate dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. Lee stated that Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with North Korea, noting that resuming US-North Korea talks would be far easier than restoring inter-Korean dialogue, following Trump's announced plans to meet with Kim Jong Un later this year. Seoul has also worked to diversify its broader regional partnerships, hosting a landmark presidential summit with five Central Asian states on Wednesday to expand economic ties.