President Lee Jae Myung said Monday that Iran likely did not intentionally target the South Korean-operated vessel HMM Namu in the Persian Gulf.
Lee emphasized that Seoul had protested what it sees as a violation of its sovereignty and demanded measures to prevent a recurrence.
Speaking at a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee was asked about the government's assessment of the conflict in the Middle East and the recent attack on the vessel.
"What is clear is that it was not done intentionally," Lee said. "Our goal is to ensure that South Korea's sovereignty, the human rights of our citizens and minimum international norms are not violated or infringed upon."
Lee noted that South Korea's investigation had concluded "that our ship was struck by what is believed to be an Iranian-made airborne object, presumed to be a missile," but that Tehran has denied responsibility.
"If it had been an intentional attack, they would likely have declared that they carried it out."
The president said authorities were still examining whether the strike was deliberate, whether the vessel had been specifically targeted, or whether it was an accidental incident.
"Normally, if a ship is struck by a missile, it should sink. In this case, it only suffered limited damage from an explosion, which is somewhat unusual."
Lee added that Seoul had lodged a strong protest with Tehran and demanded steps to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The remarks came after the South Korean government announced in late May that one of the two projectiles that struck the HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year was highly likely to have been an Iranian-developed Noor-series anti-ship missile.
According to the Foreign Ministry, forensic analysis of debris recovered from the vessel found similarities in the warhead's shape and components to those used in Iran's Noor and Qader anti-ship missile systems. Officials said multiple pieces of evidence pointed toward Iran, though Seoul stopped short of formally assigning direct responsibility for the attack.
The Panama-flagged cargo vessel, operated by South Korea's HMM, was struck on May 4 while anchored near the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened regional tensions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran. South Korean authorities initially described the objects as "unidentified airborne objects" before conducting a joint investigation involving the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and relevant research institutes.
The attack caused an explosion and fire aboard the vessel but resulted in no fatalities. One unexploded warhead was later recovered and transported to South Korea for detailed analysis.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
