SEOUL, Sep 18 (Reuters): South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday he would not deploy military ‌assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but Seoul was reviewing whether to play a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region.

South Korea has maintained a naval presence off the coast of Somalia in an anti-piracy mission, while resisting calls from US President Donald Trump to play a more active military role in supporting Washington over the war in Iran.

"There won't be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly," Lee said at a news conference. "We won't deploy military assets in any form to that end."

He added, however, that ⁠it "is also clear that we must do the minimum as other countries do to protect our commercial shipping and crude shipments, and also the safety of our people."

South Korea's government has been reviewing a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, although the idea is proving unpopular domestically.

Trump has criticised Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back major joint military drills by the two countries' armed forces this summer, a move that unsettled the US ally.

Photo from Reuters