"Unidentified Aerial Object Caused Namuho Fire... Perpetrating Country Still Unknown"

Joint Government Investigation Results Announced
Further Analysis Planned on Collected Debris

The fire incident involving a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was found to have been caused by the impact of an unidentified aerial object.

Yonhap News Agency

On the 4th, the South Korean government announced that the fire on a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was caused by an unidentified aerial object. On the 10th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the joint government investigation results, disclosing photos taken by the on-site investigation team. The photo shows the scene of the fire on the ship Namuho. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo by Yonhap News.

On the 10th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the results of a joint government investigation. An official from the Ministry stated, "According to the investigation, on the 4th, an unidentified aerial object struck the stern of HMM Namuho," adding, "There are limitations in determining the exact type and physical size." The official further explained that "additional analysis will be conducted on debris collected from the scene."

It remains unconfirmed whether the object that struck the Namuho was a drone or a missile, and which country was responsible for the attack.

Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is announcing the results of the Hormuz Namoo incident on the 10th at the Government Complex Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 4th, an explosion and subsequent fire occurred on the South Korean cargo ship HMM Namuho, which was anchored in the Strait of Hormuz. After towing the Namuho to Dubai Port, the government dispatched an investigation team composed of three investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and four forensic experts from the National Fire Agency to determine the cause of the fire.

Iran has been identified as a possible party responsible, given that it has previously conducted drone and missile attacks against not only U.S. warships but also vessels from various countries in the nearby region. However, the Embassy of Iran in Korea has denied the "Iran attack theory," stating that the military of the Islamic Republic of Iran was not involved. U.S. President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has asserted that Iran is to blame for the incident and is pressuring South Korea to join U.S. military operations in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the security of international shipping.

HMM Namuho. Photo by Yonhap News

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