The South Korean presidential office on Thursday said it hoped the Middle East would swiftly return to peace and stability after US President Donald Trump delivered his national address on the war with Iran.
The South Korean government “is closely monitoring major developments among the relevant countries in relation to the Middle East war,” senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a statement responding to Trump’s speech.
The government “expects that the situation in the Middle East will move in a direction toward the swift restoration of peace and stability,” Kang said.
“The government will actively carry out efforts, in cooperation with the international community, to ensure the safety of our nationals and businesses operating in the Middle East, the stability of energy supply chains and the resumption of free maritime transport routes,” Kang added.
Trump threatened to bring Iran “back to the stone ages,” claiming that the “core strategic objectives are nearing completion” in an address from the White House on Wednesday night.
Trump also warned that the US would hit Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks,” adding, “We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close.”
Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae denied a local media report that it was weighing a plan to pay Iran transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz to secure imports of Middle Eastern crude oil and gas.
A Cheong Wa Dae official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “It is entirely untrue that we are carefully reviewing the payment of Hormuz transit fees, and it is not even under consideration.”
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com
