A South Korean government investigation has concluded that “unidentified airborne objects” struck a South Korean-operated cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz last week, causing an explosion and fire aboard the ship, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday, while stopping short of identifying who was responsible for the attack.
Following the announcement, Cheong Wa Dae said a working-level meeting of the National Security Council was held Sunday with officials from the oceans ministry and other relevant agencies, while Iran’s ambassador to South Korea was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
On May 4, an explosion and fire were reported aboard the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Namu, operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM in the Strait of Hormuz, where around 2,000 vessels remain stranded amid the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran. No injuries were reported among the vessel’s 24 crew members, including six South Koreans.
The Foreign Ministry said a seven-member government investigation team concluded that two unidentified flying objects struck the stern of the vessel, which was towed to a port in Dubai on Friday for inspection.
The two objects hit the vessel approximately one minute apart at 3:30 p.m. on May 4 (local time), and the hull plating was damaged all the way to the interior of the vessel, ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a press briefing.
The engine room fire is believed to have been ignited by a first strike from an unidentified flying object, with the blaze rapidly escalating after a second impact, Park said, adding, "The cause of the fire is presumed to have been unrelated to the vessel's internal systems.
"CCTV footage captured the unidentified flying objects, but there are limitations in determining their exact type, origin and physical size," he said. "The likelihood of the objects being mines or torpedoes appears to be low."
US President Donald Trump earlier claimed Iran had "taken some shots" at the HMM vessel and other targets, but the Iranian Embassy in Seoul released an official statement saying the country "firmly and categorically" denies any involvement in the incident by its military.
Park said the country plans to conduct further analysis of engine debris recovered from the scene, apparently to identify the objects that struck the vessel, while stressing that the government will not prejudge who is to blame for the incident as of now.
The government will "thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident and pursue all possible measures, including cooperation with the international community, to prevent a recurrence and ensure the safety of South Korean citizens," Park said.
It is also carefully reviewing possible participation in US-led initiatives, including the Maritime Freedom Construct.
Right after the announcement of the investigation results, Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi arrived at the foreign ministry in Seoul.
"Iran is considered one of the relevant parties, and the ambassador visited the ministry to receive an explanation of the investigation results," Park said. "We are communicating with the relevant countries based on the facts confirmed so far and will take necessary follow-up measures." (Yonhap & news reports)
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