HMM Namuho hull breach [Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

The government has stated that the South Korean vessel fire incident in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th was caused by a strike from an unidentified flying object.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the joint investigation findings of the government on the 10th.

Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a briefing, "The investigation confirmed that an unidentified flying object struck the stern of the HMM Namuho on May 4th. While the object was captured on CCTV footage, there are limitations in identifying the exact origin, model, and physical size of the projectile."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, "We plan to conduct further analysis of the flying object's engine debris recovered from the site."

Consequently, it is currently unconfirmed whether the flying object that struck the Namuho was a drone or a missile, or which country was responsible.

According to what Spokesperson Park Il revealed at the briefing on this day, around 3:30 PM local time on the 4th, two unidentified flying objects struck the outer hull of the ballast water tank on the port side of the Namuho's stern at approximately one-minute intervals.

Following the impact from the strike, flames and smoke accompanied by vibrations occurred. The fire was ignited by the first strike of the flying object, and then rapidly expanded in scale due to the second strike. Spokesperson Park stated that the cause of the fire is presumed to be unrelated to the vessel's interior.

A breach approximately 5 meters wide and 7 meters deep into the hull occurred on the outer plating at the impact site, curving inward towards the hull's interior.

Spokesperson Park explained the basis for the 'flying object strike' estimation, stating, "The damaged area is 1 to 1.5 meters above the sea level, and considering the damage pattern caused by explosive pressure and the hemispherical penetration shape, the possibility of being hit by a mine or torpedo appears low."

The government had previously indicated that the possibility of being hit seemed low. In response, Spokesperson Park stated, "Initially, the breach could not be identified by the crew or nearby vessels, so the announcement was made based on the on-site investigation results."

Shortly before Spokesperson Park's briefing began on this day, the Ambassador of Iran to Korea, Said Kouzechi, was seen entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.

Regarding the Iranian Ambassador's visit despite the attacker not being identified, Spokesperson Park said, "We are communicating with relevant countries based on the confirmed facts, and as Iran is one of those countries, the Iranian Ambassador to Korea visited to explain our investigation findings."

Spokesperson Park further stated that Ambassador Kouzechi is scheduled to meet with Park Yun-ju, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Namuho fire scene [Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

An explosion and fire occurred on the Korean cargo ship HMM Namuho, which was anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, on the 4th.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the South Korean vessel became the first victim in the conflict amid an unstable truce between the United States and Iran.

The government towed the Namuho, which was unable to navigate on its own, to the port of Dubai. An investigation team consisting of three investigators from the Marine Accident Inquiry Agency under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and four forensic experts from the National Fire Agency has been dispatched to investigate the cause of the fire. Military experts also participated in the investigation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

If the unidentified flying object is later identified as belonging to Iran, significant repercussions are expected. As Iran has previously conducted drone and missile attacks on military vessels and ships of various countries in the region, observations that Iran was responsible emerged early on.

The Embassy of Iran in Korea has denied the 'Iran attack theory' that has been raised, stating that the Iranian military was not involved in this incident.

Conversely, U.S. President Donald Trump immediately after the vessel fire concluded it was an Iranian attack and has been pressuring South Korea to join U.S. military operations to 'liberate' vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz.

When asked whether the U.S. knew the attacker or if they had received related information from the U.S., Spokesperson Park only replied, "Please understand that specific details are limited."

Spokesperson Park stated, "The government intends to make every effort to ensure the safety of our citizens by thoroughly investigating the cause of this incident and pursuing all possible measures, including cooperation with the international community, to prevent recurrence. We are also closely reviewing participation in U.S. initiatives, including the U.S.'s Maritime Freedom of Navigation (MFC)."