SOUTH KOREA PERSPECTIVE

South Korea imports more than 60% of its oil from the Gulf region, much of it transiting through Hormuz. The Korea Times covers the standoff with particular acuity: Iran's economy is 'battered' but its leaders still think Trump will blink first. The Iranian nuclear crisis resonates differently in Seoul than elsewhere. South Korea has lived for decades with a nuclear-armed neighbor to the north and anxiously observes any precedent set when facing a sanctioned state's nuclear ambitions. Korean analysts also note Trump's approval rating sinking to historic lows as the Iran war drives up consumer prices — the credibility of a domestically weakened American partner is a crucial strategic question for an ally that depends on the American nuclear umbrella.