Will the Dispatch of a South Korean Delegation to Iran Regarding the 'Korean Ship Detention' Succeed? ... Iran States "No Separate Visit Schedule Agreed with South Korean Government" (Comprehensive)

Government Plans to Dispatch Working-Level Delegation on the 6th... Outcome Uncertain Due to Iran's Lukewarm Attitude
Various Analyses on Iran's Detention of Korean Ship... Iran Repeatedly Emphasizes "Detention Is a Technical Issue"

Choi Jong-geon, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, attends an emergency meeting held at the National Assembly on the 6th, touching his face as if tired. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Various perspectives are emerging regarding the background of the incident in which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard detained a Korean vessel at a time when discussions were underway to expand humanitarian trade between the two countries. Primarily, analyses suggest that the direct cause was the $7 billion (approximately 7.6 trillion KRW) frozen funds of the Central Bank of Iran held in Korea, followed by interpretations that the action was aimed at the new U.S. administration under Joe Biden.

On the third day of the detention of the Korean vessel by Iran on the 6th, the situation is becoming increasingly severe. President Moon Jae-in instructed the Blue House’s National Security Office to closely coordinate with related ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to devise countermeasures, and decided to activate a continuous response system centered on coordinated measures among the ministries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the main responsible ministry, decided to urgently dispatch a negotiation working-level delegation led by Ko Kyung-seok, Director General of the Africa and Middle East Bureau, to the site on the same day. From the 10th, Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, will visit Iran for a two-night, three-day schedule. However, the Iranian government has shown a lukewarm attitude toward the visit of the working-level delegation, making the actual realization uncertain.

According to the state-run IRNA news agency on the 5th (local time), Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a comment that the visit of the Korean Deputy Foreign Minister was scheduled in advance and is unrelated to the detention of the Korean vessel. He emphasized that since the vessel detention is proceeding through legal procedures by judicial authorities, a diplomatic visit is unnecessary, and that no separate visit schedule by the Korean government has been agreed upon. This raises the possibility that the dispatch of the working-level delegation may be delayed.

In particular, the Iranian government has repeatedly issued sharp responses to international criticism that it is holding the Korean vessel and crew hostage. Iran has consistently emphasized through diplomatic channels with Korea that the detention is a measure to investigate environmental pollution issues related to the “MT-Korea Chemie” ship and is unrelated to the $7 billion frozen Iranian funds in Korea.

Ali Rabiei, spokesperson for the Iranian government, held the first online press conference since the vessel detention on the 5th (local time), stating, “We have been hearing criticism that we are holding a hostage situation recently,” and claimed, “It is Korea that is holding $7 billion of Iranian funds hostage, and they (Korea) have made no additional efforts to allow the Iranian people access to our funds.”

With this official statement from the Iranian government spokesperson, the analysis that the frozen Iranian funds in Korea are the background of this detention incident is expected to gain more weight. In July last year, the Iranian government stated regarding these funds, “If repayment is not made, we will pursue debt repayment through the International Court of Justice,” and criticized, “The United States and Korea have a master-servant relationship.” This statement further supports the analysis that the frozen Iranian funds in Korea are the background of the incident.

Previously, the governments of Korea and Iran had been discussing using the frozen Iranian funds in Korea to purchase vaccines. The plan was for Korea to remit the frozen funds to the COVAX facility, enabling Iran to receive vaccine supplies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it had completed consultations with the U.S. Treasury Department and obtained sanction exemptions, but the Iranian side has not reached a conclusion due to concerns over additional U.S. sanctions.

There is also speculation that this is a calculation to leverage Korea to expedite the United States’ return to the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and significantly strengthened sanctions against Iran. Given the urgent need to overcome severe economic difficulties and secure COVID-19 vaccines, this detention is interpreted as a political move ahead of the inauguration of the Biden administration. President-elect Biden pledged during the last election to revive the Iran nuclear deal.

U.S. CNN reported, “Regardless of whether the Korean vessel discharged pollutants, Iran has used this detention to imprint its potential influence over navigation in the Gulf region,” and added, “Korea, which holds frozen Iranian funds, is a neutral victim caught between the U.S. and Iran.”

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