South Korean minister denies Trump's claim on Iran nuclear cooperation
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- South Korea's Defense Minister denied claims by former US President Trump regarding President Lee's response to Iran nuclear talks.
- Trump alleged President Lee declined a request to assist with Iran's denuclearization efforts.
- The minister stated that the South Korean president's alleged refusal did not influence the reduction of joint US-South Korea military drills.
South Korea's Defense Minister, Ahn Kyu-baek, has refuted claims made by former U.S. President Donald Trump concerning President Lee Jae-myung's stance on Iran's nuclear program. Trump had asserted that President Lee declined a request to cooperate on Iran's denuclearization efforts, stating "No thanks."
During a session at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on August 19, Minister Ahn directly addressed the assertion. When questioned by lawmaker Kim Min-jeon of the People Power Party whether Trump was lying, Ahn responded, "That is not something I can comment on. I am speaking about the facts."
That is not something I can comment on. I am speaking about the facts.
Trump had previously posted on social media on August 16, alleging that President Lee had refused his request for assistance with Iran's nuclear issue. Trump claimed he had called President Lee to ask for help, but received a "No thanks" response. This statement was made in the context of Trump's directive to reduce joint US-South Korea military exercises.
Responding to a question about whether South Korea's alleged refusal to cooperate on Iran influenced the reduction of the joint military drills, Minister Ahn stated, "That is not the case."
That is not the case.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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