[Anchor]
Turning now to trade and security issues involving the United States. President Lee Jae-myung made clear that there will be no troop deployment for war regarding the Strait of Hormuz. While an agreement on investment in the United States is nearly reached, he noted that discussions are currently underway again because there are certain points he finds difficult to agree on.
Reporter Kim Hye-young has the details.
[Reporter]
At a press conference, President Lee Jae-myung stated clearly that "there will be no troop deployment for war," reiterating that the principle of non-involvement in war remains unchanged regarding the issue of troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
[President Lee Jae-myung: "There will be no troop deployment that involves or intervenes in a war. I can state that unequivocally."]
However, he emphasized that South Korea must carry out minimum activities to safeguard its commercial vessels, oil transport routes, and the safety of its citizens, just as other nations do.
[President Lee Jae-myung: "The Cheonghae Unit has already been deployed, and the military is responding to threats against our citizens' safety. It is also true that we are reviewing and contemplating how to strengthen this."]
Accordingly, observers project that even if military assets are deployed, it will likely be structured to make a realistic contribution by minimizing personnel in areas outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Regarding the negotiations on investment in the United States, President Lee has emphasized the criterion of "commercial rationality," but he hinted that he has put the brakes on certain matters in the final stages.
[President Lee Jae-myung: "They say an agreement is almost reached, but looking at the contents, there are parts that are not easy for me to agree on, so we are discussing them again."]
Regarding the "parts that are difficult to agree on," an official from the ruling camp noted, "It concerns matters such as principles for recovering investment funds following the construction of nuclear power plants and combined-cycle gas power plants in the U.S. that have been under discussion." President Lee added the following comment, stressing that the national interest comes first.
[President Lee Jae-myung: "I believe we should not be swayed impulsively, or by certain relationships, pressure, or coercion. That is not to say the United States is doing that."]
President Lee also explained that there is no need to worry about "Korea passing" in dialogue between North Korea and the United States, saying, "Our government has a role to play in advancing North Korea-U.S. relations."
Video by Cho Chun-dong and Jeong Sang-bo | Video Editing by Park Seon-soo
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