The South Korean government announced that the fire on a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th was caused by a strike from an unidentified aerial vehicle. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the joint government investigation results on the 10th and released photos taken by the on-site investigation team. The breach, measuring 5m wide and 7m deep, was confirmed on the lower part of the hull. [Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] 

The Blue House stated on the 11th, in relation to the confirmed cause of the fire on the South Korean vessel 'Namuho' in the Strait of Hormuz being an external attack, "Our government's position is that attacks on civilian vessels, including the Namuho, are unjustifiable and unacceptable."

During a press briefing with reporters on the same day, National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac mentioned this and added, "We strongly condemn this attack."

However, a senior Blue House official explained, "While it is clear that attacks on general merchant ships are subject to condemnation, we (the government) are not currently identifying the perpetrator of the attack. We are in the process of efforts to identify them," adding, "We will strive to make a judgment as soon as possible. Once a judgment is made, we will take appropriate action."

In the same context, the official explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' summoning of the Iranian Ambassador to Korea, Saeed Kouchezi, to the ministry to explain the investigation results the previous day was "a consultation, not a summons."

This means that a summons is an action taken by diplomatic authorities to officially convey dissatisfaction to another country, and since the perpetrator of the attack has not yet been identified as Iran, it is not yet at the stage for a summons.

He stated, "Whether Iran is involved is also an unknown territory," and added, "It is not yet a situation where we need to reconsider support measures for Iran."

A tugboat has been secured to move the HMM-operated cargo ship, which caught fire while anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, to the nearby port of Dubai. According to HMM on the 6th, towing operations for the accident vessel, HMM Namuho, are scheduled to begin from this afternoon Korean time. The photo shows a file photo of the bulk carrier HMM Namuho released by HMM. [Provided by HMM] 

The government stated that its future response measures will be considered based on the investigation results.

Meanwhile, Advisor Wi Sung-lac added, "Furthermore, we will increase efforts to communicate with relevant countries to prevent recurrence of such incidents and to enhance the safety of our vessels and crew in the nearby straits," and "We will continue to participate in international efforts to ensure the safety and free navigation of all vessels, including those of South Korea."

This statement, along with the strong condemnation, can be interpreted as further opening the door to participating in concrete 'actions' by the international community.

However, when asked if the Blue House was more actively considering participation in the U.S.'s Maritime Freedom Coalition initiative due to this incident, a senior Blue House official maintained a cautious stance, saying, "We do not believe it is necessarily linked to that extent. Since the perpetrator of the attack has not been identified, it is too early to decide whether to join a specific framework."

He continued, "There are other countries whose vessels have suffered similar attacks in the region, and some of them have lodged diplomatic protests. We are closely monitoring the responses of other countries."

Regarding the circumstances of the accident, Advisor Wi explained that he received a report stating, "Two unidentified aerial vehicles struck the outer hull of the Namuho's stern twice at approximately one-minute intervals, causing flames and smoke accompanied by vibrations."

He further explained, "Considering that the vessel sustained damage approximately 1 to 1.5 meters above the sea level at the time of the accident, as well as the pattern of the damage, the possibility of being hit by mines or torpedoes appears low."

He added, "Additional investigation is needed regarding information about the aerial vehicles that struck the vessel," explaining that a more specialized investigation will be conducted to identify the perpetrator and type of aircraft.

The South Korean government announced that the fire on a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th was caused by a strike from an unidentified aerial vehicle. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the joint government investigation results on the 10th and released photos taken by the on-site investigation team. The photo shows the scene of the Namuho fire. [Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] 

Meanwhile, there have been comments pointing out a discrepancy between the Blue House's statement on the 6th, suggesting it was difficult to confirm a "strike," and the actual investigation results.

In response, a senior Blue House official explained, "At the time, we had not received a report of a breach. Rather than making a wrong judgment, it was difficult to make a judgment at that time, so we withheld our conclusion. We subsequently became aware of the possibility of a strike, and finally, the investigation team that visited the site provided a report after a professional assessment, allowing us to make a judgment."

He also added, "The CCTV footage of the stern of the vessel was of great help, and the timing of that footage becoming part of the final report was slightly delayed."

When asked if U.S. President Donald Trump knew about the fact of the strike immediately, he replied, "We looked into this, but in the U.S. as well, no one could clearly explain on what grounds President Trump mentioned it (as an attack). We speculated it might be related to early media reports, but it is not certain."