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Gov't confirms missile used in HMM Namu attack

Published: 27 May. 2026, 08:36

This undated handout photograph released by Korea's Foreign Ministry on May 10 shows a damaged part of the Korean cargo ship HMM Namu docked at a port in Dubai. [YONHAP]

The weapon used to attack the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 was a missile, the Korean government told the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday.

"The weapon used in the attack has been identified as a missile, not a drone, and the government will make a formal announcement shortly," a senior Democratic Party official said.

On the question of who carried out the attack, the official said, "It is difficult to see this as the work of any actor other than Iran. Who else would it be?"

Whether investigators have found definitive proof of Iranian responsibility remains unclear. The government is nonetheless understood to believe the weapon was an Iranian antiship missile. A separate question — whether the strike was intentional or the result of misidentification or a tactical error — also remains unanswered. Iran denies any involvement.

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier HMM Namu, in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, on Jan. 5. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

HMM Namu caught fire following an explosion while anchored near the United Arab Emirates. The blaze was later determined to have been caused by unidentified projectiles that struck the stern of the HMM Namu twice within one minute, with both impacts hitting nearly the same location. No casualties were reported among the ship’s 24 crew members, including six Koreans and 18 foreign nationals.

When the fire was determined to be the result of an attack rather than an accident, many experts pointed to Iran's Shahed-136 kamikaze drone as the likely weapon. The government, however, had maintained a cautious position. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said on May 13 that authorities did "not have grounds to conclude" it was a drone strike, adding that "it could be a missile — multiple possibilities remain open."

The investigation has now confirmed it was indeed a missile.

Local authorities recovered engine debris from the projectile at the scene and returned it to Korea on May 15 for detailed analysis. They also obtained closed-circuit television footage of the attack. A technical analysis team from the Ministry of National Defense was separately dispatched to Dubai to conduct a forensic inspection of the Namu vessel itself.

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 KIM NA-HAN. [[email protected]]