Senior Government Official: "Appropriate Diplomatic Action Will Be Taken if Namuho Attacker Is Identified"

It has been ten days since the South Korean vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, but questions remain unresolved regarding the weapon used and the party responsible for the assault. The government is working on bringing engine debris recovered from the initial on-site investigation back to Korea, while also dispatching additional experts to Dubai to analyze the weapon specifications.

A senior government official told reporters at the Government Complex Seoul on the 14th, "We transported the engine debris from Dubai to our Consulate General and then to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We will bring it to Korea as soon as possible, and consultations with the UAE government have already begun."

The official further emphasized, "Once the party responsible (for the attack) is identified, we will have to launch a corresponding diplomatic offensive." The official also noted that the attack on the Namuho marked the 33rd such incident in the Strait of Hormuz, adding, "We are also taking into account the response measures of other countries."

Lee Kyungho, Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular briefing on this day, "To determine the cause and conduct a scientific analysis of the HMM Namuho attack, we dispatched a technical analysis team to Dubai on the 13th. Through a detailed on-site investigation, analysis of various evidence, and cooperation with relevant countries, we aim to accurately establish the facts and actively support the operations of the government's joint response team."

The size of the second group of personnel dispatched this time is about ten people. Amid an ongoing debate over whether the flying object that attacked the Namuho was a drone or a missile, it appears that researchers from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), including those from the Aerospace Technology Research Institute and the Missile Technology Research Institute, have been included in the dispatched team for further investigation.

As a South Korean civilian vessel, entirely unrelated to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, was attacked, the investigation results are likely to have significant diplomatic repercussions. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun stated at a meeting on this day, "The government will conduct an official investigation into the attack on the Namuho and take the necessary response measures," emphasizing, "Attacks on civilian vessels, including the Namuho, can never be justified or tolerated under any circumstances."

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