On the 8th (local time), the bulk carrier HMM Namu docked at Dry Docks World Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. [Photo=Yonhap News]
Investigators say a fire aboard a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 was caused by a strike from an unidentified aerial object. Officials have not yet determined whether the object was a drone, a missile, or which country carried out the strike.
On May 10, Yonhap News reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a joint government investigation with those findings. The ministry said the probe confirmed an unidentified aerial object struck the stern of the HMM Namu on May 4, but investigators face limits in identifying the object's exact type or physical size. Officials said they will further analyze debris recovered from the scene.
Earlier, on May 4, an explosion aboard the South Korean cargo ship HMM Namu, anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, sparked a fire. There were no casualties, but the vessel lost propulsion and could not operate under its own power.
The government immediately towed the Namu to Dubai port. It then dispatched an on-site investigation team: three inspectors from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and four forensic experts from the National Fire Agency.
The announcement confirms the fire was not a simple accident but the result of an external aerial strike. Investigators have not yet identified the attacker or the weapon used.
Iran's embassy in Seoul earlier denied that the Islamic Republic's military was involved, rejecting claims of an Iranian attack. By contrast, U.S. President Donald Trump immediately blamed Iran for the incident and urged that South Korea join U.S. military efforts to free ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz.
