President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with South Korea’s lack of support in the Iran conflict, while the South Korean Foreign Ministry stated they are carefully reviewing the matter based on close communication between the two nations.
During a regular press briefing on Tuesday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il noted that it’s closely monitoring President Trump’s repeated comments on this issue. The government will carefully review and make a decision based on ongoing, close communication with the U.S.
Earlier, on Monday, Trump voiced his frustration about allied nations, including South Korea, not supporting the U.S. in the Iran situation while discussing U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.
He expressed deep disappointment with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), adding that not only NATO, but also South Korea, Australia, and Japan did not assist them in the Iran conflict.
Trump continued that it has 50,000 troops deployed to protect Japan from North Korea, and 45,000 troops to protect South Korea from Kim Jong Un. However, it’s worth noting that the actual number of U.S. troops in South Korea is approximately 28,500.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry, however, interpreted Trump’s comments as not specifically targeting South Korea. They viewed his remarks as part of a broader discussion about allied nations, including NATO, reflecting unmet expectations regarding the Middle East situation.
Furthermore, they assessed that this matter is not directly related to ongoing discussions about the South Korea-U.S. nuclear cooperation agreement or other alliance concerns.