Iran most likely perpetrator of attack on Korean ship near Hormuz Strait, says Foreign Ministry

Korea's Foreign Ministry on Thursday assessed Iran as the most likely actor behind the May 4 attack on the HMM Namu, a vessel operated by Korean shipping company HMM, marking the government's clearest attribution to date while stopping short of a formal accusation.

A senior Foreign Ministry official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said that "common sense suggests the likelihood of an actor other than Iran being responsible isn't high," citing the absence of any pirate activity near the Strait of Hormuz at the time.

The official said once a perpetrator is confirmed, the government will "have to launch a corresponding diplomatic offensive."

The ministry was careful, however, to clarify that those remarks were premised on Iran being confirmed as the attacker through a final investigation. 

"We cannot tell Iran 'it's you' without precise evidence," the official said, adding that once investigators present their findings to the Iranian side, "we expect some form of appropriate response." 

The Namu attack was the 33rd recorded strike on commercial shipping in the strait. Officials said they are "reviewing how other affected countries have responded" to similar incidents.

Reactions from other countries have varied widely.

France, whose nationals were not among the crew of a French vessel that was struck, said the attack did not constitute an attack on France. China expressed general concern after one of its vessels was hit, but without naming a perpetrator. India summoned the Iranian ambassador after an attack. Thailand, which suffered casualties when human remains were found aboard a Thai ship that was attacked, initially took a similar step, but later secured an agreement with Iran guaranteeing safe passage for Thai tankers. 

Korea is conducting its investigation independently while sharing findings with the United States. 

"We have been communicating with the U.S. side from the beginning," the senior official said, "and are analyzing information obtained from them together." 

Engine fragments recovered from the Namu are currently stored at Korea's embassy in the United Arab Emirates, following transfer from the consulate-general in Dubai. 

Officials said the debris is scheduled to be flown to Seoul, though the logistics are still under negotiation. Because the fragments are classified as military equipment and cannot be fully ruled out as a fire hazard, their transport requires coordination with UAE authorities — and, if a civilian airline is used, the cooperation of the carrier as well. 

A technical team, consisting of about 10 members, including specialists from the Agency for Defense Development, has been dispatched to Dubai to conduct on-site analysis.

The exact nature of the weapon — whether a drone or a missile — remains unconfirmed.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said the previous day that there was insufficient information to determine whether a drone was responsible and left open the possibility of a missile.

"Drones typically attack from above and would struggle to strike a ship's hull [near the waterline]," the official said, characterizing this as the likely basis for Wi's assessment, adding, "We must be careful about premature judgments." 

The existence of CCTV footage from aboard the Namu emerged as a new development on Thursday. 

The government's investigation team has reviewed the footage, but the shipowner has declined to make it public. 

The attack came despite sustained diplomatic engagement by Seoul. 

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had three phone calls with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, calling for the resumption of safe navigation through the strait. 

Korea dispatched Chung Byung-ha as a special envoy to Tehran — the only country to send a foreign envoy to Iran amid the conflict — where he spent roughly two weeks in April holding direct meetings with Araghchi and other senior Iranian officials. Around the same time, Seoul committed $500,000 in humanitarian aid to Iran through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Following the attack, Korea summoned the Iranian ambassador to the ministry — though officials characterized the meeting as a "consultation" to convey investigation findings rather than a formal protest.

"Attacks on civilian vessels, including the Namu, cannot be justified or tolerated under any circumstances," Cho said Thursday.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]