Senior Government Official: "Highly Unlikely That Any Party Other Than Iran Was Behind Namu Attack" (Comprehensive)

"If the Party Responsible for the Namu Attack Is Identified, Appropriate Diplomatic Action Will Follow"

"If Clear Evidence Is Presented, Iran Is Expected to Respond Appropriately"

The government is focusing on the possibility that Iran was responsible for the attack on a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and plans to launch a follow-up investigation to gather definitive evidence.

HMM Namu Ship Towed to Dubai. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

A senior government official, when asked by reporters at the Government Complex Seoul on the 14th about the party responsible for the attack on the HMM Namu, stated, "Logically, it is unlikely that any party other than Iran carried out the attack," adding, "There were no pirates in the vicinity either." The official further remarked, "If the party responsible is identified, appropriate diplomatic measures must be taken."

However, the official emphasized, "We cannot say it was Iran without conclusive evidence," stressing that a detailed investigation of the flying object that attacked the Namu is necessary first.

It has now been ten days since the Korean vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th of this month. The weapon and the perpetrator remain completely unidentified. The government is considering bringing the engine debris recovered from the initial on-site investigation back to Korea, and plans to dispatch additional experts to Dubai to analyze the weapon's specifications. The senior official said, "We have moved the (engine debris) from Dubai to the Korean embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)," adding, "We will bring it to Korea as soon as possible, and we have already begun discussions with the UAE government regarding transportation."

In this regard, Lee Kyungho, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, stated at a regular briefing that "a technical analysis team was dispatched to Dubai on the 13th to investigate the cause and conduct a scientific analysis of the HMM Namu attack incident." He added, "We will actively support the Joint Government Response Team's activities by thoroughly investigating the site, analyzing various pieces of evidence, and cooperating with relevant countries." The team sent this second time consists of around ten members. As debate continues over whether the flying object that attacked the Namu was a drone or a missile, it appears that the Aerospace Technology Research Institute and the Missile Technology Research Institute of the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) have also joined the investigation for further on-site analysis.

At this stage, it has not been determined whether the weapon used was a drone or a missile. On the previous day, National Security Office Chief Wi Sungrak stated at an editors' association meeting, "We do not have grounds to conclusively say it was a drone." Regarding this, the senior government official clarified, "He was emphasizing that we do not know whether it was a drone or something else," and added, "At this point, we really do not know." The official continued, "A drone flying in from the sky would have difficulty attacking the underside of a ship, which is likely why such assumptions were made. Although I have seen photos of the debris, it is too early to make any hasty judgments." The government is currently coordinating with UAE customs and related authorities to transport the engine debris to Korea no later than next week. At present, air transport appears to be the most likely option.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Once the engine debris is brought to Korea and the specification analysis is completed, it is expected that some facts will become clearer. Depending on the outcome, diplomatic repercussions are also anticipated. At a meeting held on this day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun stated, "The government will conduct an investigation into the HMM Namu attack and take necessary responsive measures," emphasizing, "An attack on civilian vessels, including the Namu, cannot be justified or tolerated under any circumstances." However, even if the specifications of the flying object and the responsible party are identified, it remains uncertain whether the party in question will acknowledge responsibility. The senior official said, "If the investigation produces clear evidence, I believe there will be a response of some kind from the Iranian side."

Regarding consultations with the United States over this incident, the official said, "We have been in close communication from the outset," adding, "We are obtaining and jointly analyzing information held by the United States." The official also mentioned, "We are communicating with the Iranian side as well."

According to the government, the attack on the Namu marks the 33rd such incident in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Not only Korean vessels but also French and Indian ships have been attacked, with a Thai vessel suffering casualties. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "Of course, we will review responsive measures based on our own investigation, but we will also consider the responses of other countries, the safety of the 26 vessels and their crews currently in the strait, and future developments in the region when determining our response."

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