EXPLORE THIS STORY
SOUTH KOREA PERSPECTIVE
PAKISTAN'S ARMY CHIEF IN IRAN AS US'S RUBIO SAYS 'SLIGHT PROGRESS' IN TALKS
AI-generated content — Analyses are produced by artificial intelligence from press articles. They may contain errors or biases. Learn more
DOMINANT ANGLE
Seoul is closely watching diplomacy around the Iran-US issue, where the role of mediator entrusted to Pakistan and persistent blocks on enriched uranium and the Strait of Hormuz continue to weigh on global energy markets.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Seoul, May 22, 2026. South Korean media, led by Yonhap and Korea Times, have extensively covered the diplomatic developments around the Iran-US crisis, a dossier closely followed in Seoul due to its direct impact on the country's energy supplies.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday, on the sidelines of a NATO ministerial meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, that there had been "some progress" in talks with Tehran, while emphasizing that the two sides were "not yet" reached an agreement. "There have been some progress. I wouldn't exaggerate it. I wouldn't minimize it either," he said, according to a transcript published by the State Department, cited by Yonhap. "There's still work to be done. We're not there yet."
In this context, Pakistani Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday as an official mediator between Washington and Tehran - a role Rubio described as "admirable." Meanwhile, a Qatari team of negotiators also joined the Iranian capital, acting in coordination with the US. Doha, which had previously taken a distance from direct mediation after being hit by Iranian missile and drone attacks, has lost around 17% of its LNG export capacity since the start of the conflict.
The points of contention remain significant. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei would have issued a directive banning the transfer of highly enriched Iranian uranium abroad, rejecting a key US demand. According to Iranian sources cited by Reuters and picked up by Korea Times, such a transfer would leave Iran "more vulnerable to future attacks." President Trump responded that the US did not want Iran to keep this uranium: "We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we won't let them have it."
Rubio also reaffirmed that the Iranian project for a toll in the Strait of Hormuz was "unacceptable." The strait, through which around one-fifth of global oil and LNG exports pass, remains closed since the start of the conflict, triggering a global energy crisis. This situation weighs particularly on South Korea, which relies on oil and natural gas imports to meet most of its energy needs.
KEY POINTS
- Rubio said there had been "some progress" in talks, but the two sides were "not yet" reached an agreement, after a NATO meeting in Helsingborg
- Pakistani Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as an official mediator; a Qatari team also joined in coordination with Washington
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei would have banned the transfer of highly enriched Iranian uranium abroad, rejecting a key US demand
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Energy-focused framing: South Korean coverage emphasizes the consequences of the Hormuz blockade on oil and LNG markets, reflecting the country's vulnerability as a net importer
Preference for US statements: Rubio and Trump are quoted extensively, while the Iranian position is mainly reported through anonymous sources
Low coverage of civilian victims: The humanitarian crisis in Iran and Lebanon is mentioned briefly, without proper editorial development
SOURCES (3)
Yonhap
MEDIUM
Korea Times
MEDIUM
Does this analysis seem accurate?
