Wi Seongrak: "U.S. 'Project Freedom' Suspended... No Longer Necessary to Review Participation" (Comprehensive)

Cautious Stance on Possibility of Attack on Korean Vessel

"No Flooding or Listing of the Ship"

On U.S. Pressure to Join "Project Freedom":

"It Seems Based on the Premise of a Korean Vessel Being Attacked"

Blue House Official: "

National Security Office Director Seong Rak Wi stated on the 6th that the so-called "Project Freedom" proposed by the United States regarding navigation in the Strait of Hormuz "no longer needs to be considered as the operation has ended." It was confirmed that there had been no prior consultation between South Korea and the U.S. regarding participation in "Project Freedom," which had previously been perceived as pressure from the U.S.

Seong Rak Wi, the National Security Office Director, is explaining President Lee Jae-myung's overseas trip schedule at the Blue House press conference room on April 16, 2026. Photo by Blue House News Photographers Group, Yonhap News Agency

At a press briefing held at the Chunchugwan on this day, Director Wi said, "We have been reviewing the ‘Freedom of Navigation Initiative,’ and were also planning to review Project Freedom, but this morning, President Donald Trump announced that, considering progress toward a final agreement with Iran, the maritime blockade would be maintained but Project Freedom would be temporarily suspended." He added that there had been no separate prior proposal from the United States regarding participation in "Project Freedom" as mentioned by President Trump.

However, regarding the "Freedom of Navigation Initiative" separately proposed by the United States, Director Wi stated, "We are comprehensively considering our basic stance on the strait, our readiness posture for the Korean Peninsula, and various domestic legal procedures." He continued, "The safety of international sea routes and freedom of navigation are extremely important to us," adding, "We are reviewing international movements for such freedom of navigation and intend to participate and cooperate as necessary." He further explained, "On that premise, we have already joined the UK and France initiatives and the United Nations Security Council resolutions."

Regarding the fire that broke out on the Namoo-ho vessel anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th, Director Wi stated, "The fire has been extinguished, and it has been confirmed that all 24 crew members, including six Korean nationals, were unharmed." He added, "The government is currently working to analyze and assess the cause of the vessel fire," and, "The vessel is under tow and is expected to arrive at port around dawn tomorrow (Korean time). After that, an investigation team will visit the site for further examination."

Director Wi took a cautious stance on the possibility of an attack, which had been raised in the early stages of the fire. He said, "There was mention of the possibility of an attack in the initial stages of the fire," adding, "We considered holding a National Security Council (NSC) working-level meeting with that possibility in mind, but after further review of the information, it was determined that an attack was not certain." He continued, "There was no flooding or listing of the vessel," and explained, "For now, we decided not to hold a working-level meeting and instead monitor the situation and respond via other channels." He also noted, "At the same time, we are communicating with the United States, the UAE, Iran, and other relevant countries through diplomatic channels."

It is expected to take several days to determine the cause of the fire and explosion on the Korean vessel. A senior Blue House official said, "As I do not have professional knowledge, it is difficult to say exactly how long it will take to determine the cause," but added, "There may be aspects that can be judged through external observation, so we expect to be able to make a better assessment within a few days." He continued, "At this point, I do not want to explain follow-up responses based on any particular hypothesis," and said, "If it was not an attack, the situation changes significantly. If it was not an attack, the issue simply becomes a fire incident."

Regarding the connection between President Trump's claim that a Korean cargo vessel was exposed to an Iranian attack while sailing alone and the pressure to participate in "Project Freedom," he explained, "Although it is not certain, it seems that these comments from the United States were made on the assumption that our vessel was attacked." He further added, "We are also working to confirm the relationship between the U.S. Freedom of Navigation Initiative and Project Freedom."

Director Wi stated, "It appears that the Freedom of Navigation Initiative is a broad approach for stabilizing the strait and ensuring freedom of passage, while Project Freedom seems to be an immediate support operation for passage through the strait." He added, "We are reviewing these U.S. requests based on our stance regarding passage through the strait."

On the afternoon of the 5th, two days after a fire broke out with an explosion on an HMM-operated vessel anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, the HMM Ocean Service in Jung-gu, Busan, where the HMM vessel command center is located. May 5, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that South Korea is in the process of reviewing what kind of contribution it can make to the Hormuz Initiative, which is led by the UK and France. A senior Blue House official explained, "We have participated at the summit level in the coalition led by the UK and France, and have held several working-level meetings, so there has been some progress," adding, "We are in the process of reviewing what contribution we can make."

The official went on to say, "The basic concept of the U.S. proposal shares some similarities with the UK and France, but the details have not been presented as specifically as the UK and France’s proposals," adding, "If the current momentum is maintained, with natural passage through the Strait of Hormuz and a continued ceasefire, we are open to further review." He further stated, "From our perspective, we hope that these initiatives are compatible and complementary, and we are proceeding with our review accordingly."

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