Struck Twice at One-Minute Intervals: "Did the U.S. Know Who Attacked the Namuho?" (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Additional Investigation on Unidentified Flying Object... Cooperation with International Community"


Iranian Ambassador to Korea Visits Ministry of Foreign Affairs


Reviewing Participation in the Maritime

The fire incident involving a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz has been found to have originated from a strike by an unidentified flying object.

The South Korean government announced that the fire incident involving a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th was caused by a strike from an unidentified flying object. On the 10th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the joint government investigation results confirming this and disclosed photos recorded by the on-site investigation team. A 5-meter-wide and 7-meter-deep hole was confirmed on the lower hull of the ship. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On the 10th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the results of the joint government investigation. Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "The investigation confirmed that, on the 4th, an unidentified flying object struck the stern of HMM Namu." He explained, "Although the object was captured on CCTV footage, there are limitations in identifying the party responsible for the launch, the exact type of object, and its physical size." He added, "We plan to conduct further analysis on the engine debris of the flying object collected at the scene."

It has not yet been determined whether the flying object that struck HMM Namu was a drone or a missile, nor which country was responsible. According to the briefing, at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time on the 4th, two unidentified flying objects struck the portside ballast tank outer plate at the stern of HMM Namu at about one-minute intervals.

On the 8th (local time), the bulk carrier HMM Namu berthed at the repair shipyard 'Drydocks World Dubai' in Dubai Port, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The strike caused flames and smoke accompanied by vibrations. The fire is believed to have been ignited by the first impact, and then rapidly expanded following the second. According to spokesperson Park, the cause of the fire is presumed to be unrelated to the ship's internal systems. The outer plate at the impact site sustained a hole approximately 5 meters wide and 7 meters deep into the hull, with deformation toward the interior of the vessel.

Spokesperson Park explained, "The damaged area is located 1 to 1.5 meters above the waterline, and given the damage pattern caused by explosive pressure and the hemispherical penetration, the likelihood of a mine or torpedo strike appears low," thus supporting the assessment of a 'flying object strike.'

Just before the start of the briefing, Saeed Koojechi, Ambassador of Iran to South Korea, was seen entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. Regarding the ambassador's visit, spokesperson Park said, "We are communicating with relevant countries based on confirmed facts, and since Iran is among these countries, the ambassador came to receive an explanation of our investigation results." Ambassador Koojechi is scheduled to meet with First Vice Minister Park Yoonjoo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador Saeed Koojechi of Iran to South Korea is leaving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Government Complex Seoul on the 10th after being summoned regarding the HMM Namu ship incident in the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap News Agency

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

Iran has been identified as a potential party responsible, as it has previously conducted drone and missile attacks on U.S. naval vessels and ships from other countries in the region. However, the Iranian Embassy in South Korea previously denied the allegations, stating that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran were not involved. U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is responsible for the incident and has pressured Korea to participate in U.S. military operations in the Strait of Hormuz aimed at securing the freedom of navigation for ships from various countries.

When asked whether the United States was aware of the party responsible for the attack or whether Korea had received any related information from the U.S., spokesperson Park replied, "I ask for your understanding that I am unable to comment on the specifics."

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

He continued, "The government will make every effort to thoroughly determine the cause of this incident and, in order to prevent recurrence, will pursue all possible measures, including cooperation with the international community, to ensure the safety of our citizens." He added, "We are also closely reviewing participation in the U.S.-proposed Maritime Freedom Coalition (MFC) and other related U.S. initiatives."

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