Iran, "No Past Illegal Records of Korea Chemiho and Captain, Released"

The Korean Chemi, released from detention, is departing on the morning of the 9th (Korean time). (Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] The chemical carrier Korean Chemiho and its captain, who were detained in Iran last January, were released on the 9th (local time). The Iranian government stated that this decision was made considering that neither the ship nor the captain had any prior violations related to environmental laws.

Saed Hatibzadeh, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with the state-run IRNA news agency on the 9th (local time), "As a result of the investigation, the Iranian judiciary decided to release them because the ship and the captain had no previous violations in the region." He also explained that the release request from the Korean government and the owner of Korean Chemiho influenced this decision.

Spokesperson Hatibzadeh emphasized, "Iran, which has a vast coastline spanning the Gulf region and the Sea of Oman, monitors all marine regulatory violations, including environmental protection." However, he did not provide specific details about the violations that led to the detention of Korean Chemiho.

At around 5:50 a.m. (local time) on the same day, the Iranian government released the Korean Chemiho and its captain, who had been detained at the southern port of Rajaei. About five hours after departure, at around 10:30 a.m., Korean Chemiho left Iranian territorial waters. The ship plans to stop at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for hull inspection.

Among the 20 crew members aboard Korean Chemiho at the time of detention, 19 were released earlier in February, but the ship and the captain remained detained. Of these, nine, including two Korean nationals, have already returned home, and currently, a total of 13 people, including the captain and crew members who were replaced for ship management, are on board the vessel.

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