2026-05-10T15:00:13+00:00
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Shafaq News-
Seoul
South Korea
disclosed Sunday that two of its cargo ships were struck in the Strait of
Hormuz on May 4, in separate incidents that Seoul is still investigating —one
involving an aerial attack, the other a collision with an unidentified object.
Foreign Ministry
spokesman Park Il told reporters that the HMM Namu was hit by two unidentified
aircraft approximately one minute apart, triggering a fire in the engine room
that spread rapidly through the vessel following the second strike. The
aircraft appeared on surveillance footage but could not be precisely identified
in terms of type, origin, or size. Authorities plan to conduct further analysis
on engine debris and other fragments recovered after the attack.
All 24 crew
members aboard the Namu were confirmed safe and the fire extinguished, South
Korea’s Foreign Ministry said.
In a separate
incident on the same date, the ministry confirmed that a second HMM vessel,
which had been stranded in the strait, was struck in its rear section by an
unidentified object, following a field inspection by South Korean authorities.
No further details were released on the nature of the object or the extent of
the damage.
Shipping
traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked since late
February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes
on Iran. Iran denied responsibility for the attack on the HMM Namu, with its
embassy in Seoul firmly rejecting and categorically denying the accusations.
Seoul’s Defense
Ministry said it would “carefully review its position” on joining
US-led escort operations in the strait, citing international law, maritime
safety, and alliance considerations.