HMM Namu set to undergo extensive repairs following attack near Strait of Hormuz

The hull damage on a port side of the Korean-operated vessel HMM Namu [MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS]

 

HMM’s cargo vessel Namu is set to undergo extensive repairs following an attack near the Strait of Hormuz, but the cost and time required for the ship to become seaworthy remain unclear.

 

“Right now, our main concern [after the initial inspection] is getting the vessel repaired,” an HMM representative told the Yonhap News Agency on Monday. “We will coordinate with the local shipyard to outline the repair schedule. We are still assessing the extent of the damage and cannot yet estimate the timeline.”

 


 

The vessel arrived at a port in Dubai on Friday, four days after coming under attack by two unidentified airborne objects — striking the portside ballast tank at roughly one-minute intervals — near the Strait of Hormuz on May 4.

 

The ship reportedly arrived later than expected, as operators struggled to secure tugboats to tow the vessel to port and had to move slowly to minimize any further damage to the ship. 

 

HMM Namu is a newly built 38,000-ton multipurpose vessel that undertook its maiden voyage earlier this year.

 

The attack on May 4 caused extensive damage to the hull just above the waterline and disabled the ship’s engine, leaving it unable to move on its own power.

 

Korean-operated vessel HMM Namu at a Dubai port on May 9 [YONHAP]

 

Crew members aboard reported feeling strong vibrations upon impact.

 

The hull sustained a rupture about 5 meters (16.4 feet) wide near the port side stern in the incident, and the ensuing internal damage spread approximately 7 meters deep, with some internal framing found bent inward.

 

A fire in the engine room broke out immediately after the first strike and intensified following the second, according to the Korean government’s preliminary assessment.

 

The scale of the damage described by authorities suggests that repairs could take considerable time and cost greatly, industry observers say.

 

Korean shippers, whose vessels are stranded around the Strait of Hormuz, have been suffering losses of about 490 million won ($332,700) per day — including additional war risk insurance, fuel costs and crew expenses — as of late March, according to the Korea Shipowners’ Association.

 

For the HMM Namu, the ship’s operator HMM is expected to face substantial losses due to the disruption to the Namu’s shipping schedule. 

 

The HMM Namu loaded heavy cargo at Chinese ports, including Qingdao, Penglai and Taicang, between Jan. 10 and Feb. 5 before completing unloading operations in Saudi Arabia. The vessel had been scheduled to sail to China before the attack.

 

Under its special war risk insurance policy, the HMM Namu could reportedly receive up to 100 billion won in compensation if it is declared a total loss. The final payout, however, may vary depending on the results of further damage assessments.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]