South Korean Cargo Ship Attacked in Hormuz; Foreign Ministry Believes Attacker is Likely Iran
The South Korean cargo ship NAMU recently exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, confirmed to be caused by an external attack. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today that it is highly likely Iran attacked the NAMU and is currently working to gather evidence to prove it, while continuing to communicate with Iran.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 17:54
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(Central News Agency, Seoul, 14th, by reporter Yang Chi-fang) The South Korean cargo ship NAMU recently exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, confirmed to be caused by an external attack. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today that it is highly likely Iran attacked the NAMU and is currently working to gather evidence to prove it, while continuing to communicate with Iran.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official stated today that while the possibility of an attack by forces other than Iran cannot be completely ruled out, it is unlikely from a common-sense perspective, and there was no pirate activity in the vicinity at the time. The official pointed out, "Once further investigation is conducted and evidence is presented, I believe the Iranian side should respond appropriately in some form."
The official said that the South Korean side is still in communication with Iran, but at this stage, it is unlikely that the party that attacked the NAMU will voluntarily admit and apologize. However, he emphasized that through detailed investigation and thorough analysis, it should be possible to present explanations and claims to the other side to some extent. "Once confirmed, corresponding diplomatic actions should be taken."
The report mentioned that the NAMU incident is the 33rd attack on a civilian vessel since the start of the US-Iran conflict. Among them, France stated it was not an attack targeting France as there were no French crew members on board. China did not mention the attacker but expressed concern. India summoned the Iranian ambassador to India to protest, and Thailand, which suffered casualties, also summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest.
The South Korean government is expected to decide on the level of its subsequent response by comprehensively considering countermeasures such as summoning ambassadors to protest in these similar cases, as well as the safety of South Korean ships and crews, and changes in the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.
As for the attacker, the Foreign Ministry official said he had seen photos of the projectile debris, but it was difficult to identify information such as weight from the photos alone. The debris has been moved to the embassy in the United Arab Emirates and will be transported back to South Korea as soon as possible. "Once it is returned to South Korea, I believe the professional investigation agency under the Ministry of National Defense will conduct a thorough analysis to clarify all the details." (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150514
According to Yonhap News Agency, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official stated today that while the possibility of an attack by forces other than Iran cannot be completely ruled out, it is unlikely from a common-sense perspective, and there was no pirate activity in the vicinity at the time. The official pointed out, "Once further investigation is conducted and evidence is presented, I believe the Iranian side should respond appropriately in some form."
The official said that the South Korean side is still in communication with Iran, but at this stage, it is unlikely that the party that attacked the NAMU will voluntarily admit and apologize. However, he emphasized that through detailed investigation and thorough analysis, it should be possible to present explanations and claims to the other side to some extent. "Once confirmed, corresponding diplomatic actions should be taken."
The report mentioned that the NAMU incident is the 33rd attack on a civilian vessel since the start of the US-Iran conflict. Among them, France stated it was not an attack targeting France as there were no French crew members on board. China did not mention the attacker but expressed concern. India summoned the Iranian ambassador to India to protest, and Thailand, which suffered casualties, also summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest.
The South Korean government is expected to decide on the level of its subsequent response by comprehensively considering countermeasures such as summoning ambassadors to protest in these similar cases, as well as the safety of South Korean ships and crews, and changes in the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.
As for the attacker, the Foreign Ministry official said he had seen photos of the projectile debris, but it was difficult to identify information such as weight from the photos alone. The debris has been moved to the embassy in the United Arab Emirates and will be transported back to South Korea as soon as possible. "Once it is returned to South Korea, I believe the professional investigation agency under the Ministry of National Defense will conduct a thorough analysis to clarify all the details." (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150514