Iran: "Captured Korean Vessel Must Compensate for Marine Pollution"

Frequent Claims of Marine Pollution Acts
Korea Chem Shipping Company: "We Did Not Commit Marine Pollution Acts Nor Have Any Reason to Do So"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Iran's Revolutionary Guard has claimed that the Korean vessel seized by them engaged in marine pollution activities and must compensate for the damage.

According to major foreign media including Iran's Mehr News Agency on the 5th (local time), Masoud Polmeh, chairman of the Iran Shipping Association, stated, "The Korean ship was repeatedly seized for violating environmental laws," and insisted, "They must pay compensation for this." However, he did not disclose specific cases of environmental pollution or the amount of compensation.

Earlier, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized the Korean-flagged vessel "Korea Chem" around 10 a.m. the previous day in the Gulf region (Persian Gulf).

Claims that the Korea Chem ship committed marine pollution continue within Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard said in a statement, "The vessel repeatedly violated marine environmental regulations," and added, "This incident will be handled by judicial authorities."

Iran's Tasnim News also cited the deputy head of the Hormozgan Maritime Organization the previous day, claiming that Korea Chem caused large-scale marine pollution about 11 miles (approximately 18 kilometers) from Greater Tunb Island.

On the other hand, DM Shipping, the operator of Korea Chem, completely denied these claims. They argued there was no reason to pollute the marine environment, and since there were already many ships nearby, if pollution had occurred, a report would have already been filed. DM Shipping explained, "We undergo inspections once a year, and unless there is external impact, the possibility of pollution is very low," adding, "We also conducted a detailed inspection three months ago and filter microorganisms from the discharged water."

Meanwhile, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the seizure of Korea Chem and demanded the prompt release of the vessel and crew. The Ministry of National Defense also urgently dispatched the ROK Navy's Choi Young ship, which was conducting operations south of Muscat Port in Oman. That morning, the Choi Young arrived near the Strait of Hormuz.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.