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

The government announced on the 10th that the fire incident on the Korean vessel (Namuho) in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th was caused by a strike from an unidentified aircraft.

This marks the first time the government, which had maintained a cautious stance on whether the vessel was hit after the incident, has officially acknowledged an external attack based on on-site investigation results.

While the government remains cautious, refraining from prejudging the attacker, significant repercussions are expected if Iran is confirmed to be responsible.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the joint government investigation results regarding the Namuho fire on the same day.

During a briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Park Il stated, "The investigation confirmed that an unidentified aircraft struck the stern of HMM's (Namuho) on May 4," adding, "Although the aircraft was captured on CCTV footage, there are limitations in identifying the launching entity, the exact model, and its physical size."

Park added, "We plan to further analyze the wreckage of the aircraft's engine recovered from the site. We do not wish to prejudge the entity responsible for this attack at this time."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that it is currently unconfirmed whether the aircraft that struck the Namuho was a drone or a missile, or which country was responsible.

According to what spokesperson Park revealed during the briefing on this day, two unidentified aircraft struck the outer hull of the Namuho's ballast water tank on the port side of the stern at approximately 3:30 PM local time on the 4th, with about a one-minute interval between the strikes.

It was confirmed that after the impact, flames and smoke accompanied by vibrations occurred. The fire ignited from the first strike of the aircraft and then rapidly spread from 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 hull at the impact site. The internal frames of the hull were deformed inward, and the outer hull was protruded and deformed outward.

Spokesperson Park explained the basis for suspecting an "aircraft strike," stating, "The damaged area is 1-1.5 meters above the sea surface, and considering the damage pattern due to explosive pressure and the hemispherical penetration area, the possibility of being hit by a mine or torpedo appears low."

The government had previously stated, "It is not entirely certain that the vessel was hit." Regarding this, 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."

Just before spokesperson Park's briefing began on this day, the Iranian Ambassador to Korea, Seyed Kazemi, 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 confirmed facts, and Iran is one of those countries, so the Iranian Ambassador's visit was to explain our investigation results."

Ambassador Kazemi told reporters after meeting with First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-ju, "We simply discussed some general issues concerning this accident."

Scene of the Namuho fire [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.

This is the first time a Korean vessel has been damaged in the conflict, as the United States and Iran continue an unstable ceasefire.

Although it was initially reported that there were no casualties, a minor injury to one crew member was discovered the day after the incident and was belatedly confirmed today. Fortunately, it has been reported that the crew member is not currently experiencing pain or mobility issues.

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

If the unidentified aircraft is later confirmed to be Iranian, significant repercussions are expected. Iran has been conducting drone and missile attacks on various vessels, not just US warships, in the region, leading to early speculation that Iran was responsible.

The Iranian Embassy in Seoul had denied the "Iran attack theory" that had been raised, stating that the Islamic Republic of Iran's military was not involved in this incident.

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

When asked whether the US knew the identity of the attacker or if any information had been received from the US, spokesperson Park replied only, "We ask for your understanding that there are limitations in speaking concretely."

He added, "We will naturally explain these investigation results to the US side," and stated, "Following the explanation, communication regarding this matter will continue between South Korea and the US."

Spokesperson Park stated, "The government is committed to ensuring the safety of our citizens by thoroughly investigating the cause of this accident and pursuing all possible measures, including cooperation with the international community, to prevent recurrence," and added, "We are also closely reviewing participation in US initiatives such as the US's Maritime Security Initiative (MFC)."

Furthermore, he reported that a government-wide meeting was held on the afternoon of this day regarding the investigation results.