(2nd LD) S Korean vessel-debris
(2nd LD) Debris from airborne objects that hit S. Korean ship in Strait of Hormuz arrives in country
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SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- The debris from airborne objects that struck an HMM-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz last week arrived in South Korea on Friday to undergo analysis, the foreign ministry said.
The debris was flown in following consultations with the United Arab Emirates government and will be closely analyzed by specialized agencies, it said in a notice to the press.
An on-site inspection conducted last weekend found that the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co., was struck by two airborne objects while stranded in the strait on May 4, leading to an explosion and fire on board.
The government has yet to identify the objects or who was behind the attack.
A senior government official said earlier that the possibility it was launched by an actor other than Iran was "not high," and that a "commensurate diplomatic offensive" would be needed once the perpetrator was identified.
The strike was the 33rd attack on a civilian vessel since the war in the Middle East began with the United States and Israel's attack on Iran on Feb. 28, and Seoul was reviewing how other countries responded in previous cases, according to the official.
The official had also said that a specialized agency under the defense ministry would thoroughly analyze the debris to determine the details of the attack.
The analysis is expected to be conducted by the Agency for Defense Development, a state defense research institute.
This photo, released by the foreign ministry on May 10, 2026, shows a 7-meter-wide rupture in the hull of a South Korean-operated vessel, the Panama-flagged cargo vessel Namu, operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co. South Korea has concluded that a strike by "unidentified airborne objects" caused the explosion and fire aboard the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz last week. (Yonhap)
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