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Korea discusses responses to explosion on Korean-operated ship in Strait of Hormuz
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By
Yi Whan-woo
Published
May 5, 2026 3:12 pm
KST
Updated
May 5, 2026 3:27 pm
KST
A large screen displays vessel movements in the Strait of Hormuz on a ship-tracking website, Monday, when Korean-operated HMM Namu sustained damage after an explosion aboard the vessel. AFP-Yonhap
The government said Tuesday that it is taking all necessary measures to determine the exact cause and circumstances of an explosion aboard a Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran attacked the cargo ship.
Its response came after the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by Korean shipping company HMM, sustained damage after an explosion and fire broke out aboard the vessel, Monday (KST). The explosion happened on the same day the U.S. launched “Project Freedom,” aimed at guiding stranded ships through the strait.
It marked the first damage to a Korean vessel in the strait region since the U.S. and Israel began their war against Iran on Feb. 28. HMM Namu is one of the 26 stranded ships linked to Korea in the strait that Iran has effectively blocked.
According to HMM, the explosion occurred in the engine room at 8:40 p.m., followed by a fire that was extinguished about four hours later. All 24 crew members — including six Korean nationals — were unharmed.
It remains uncertain whether the vessel can resume normal operations. The ship is expected to be towed to a nearby port in Dubai to assess the extent of the damage and carry out repairs. A tugboat is currently being arranged, while the exact towing schedule has not yet been determined.
The cause of the explosion — whether it resulted from an external attack or a factor within the ship — has yet to be verified.
“We will be able to determine the exact cause of the incident when inspecting the damage once the ship is towed,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
At the time of the explosion, the ship was anchored in waters just off the United Arab Emirates, an area Iran has recently included within its asserted control zone in the strait amid its heightened military confrontation with the U.S.
Regarding the cause of the explosion, Trump claimed. Monday, that Iran attacked the ship, urging Seoul to participate in a mission to reopen the crucial strait.
“Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it's time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the project aimed at guiding stranded commercial vessels out of the waterway, a key shipping route for oil, fertilizer and other commodities.
Following the explosion, all relevant government organizations in Korea have been working to find all the facts behind the incident.
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik convened a meeting, Tuesday, to discuss responses to the explosion.
The foreign ministry also held an emergency meeting the previous night, convened by Second Vice Minister Kim Jin-a and attended by officials from Korean embassies in the UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and Oman, the country’s consulate general in Dubai and the oceans ministry.
“We will closely monitor the situation on the ground, maintain a tight communication network between headquarters and diplomatic missions, and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Korean nationals,” the foreign ministry said in a statement following the meeting.
“The vice minister noted that, fortunately, there were no casualties this time, but emphasized that it is important to identify the cause and prevent similar incidents.”
Kim also stressed the importance of maintaining full preparedness so that necessary measures can be taken promptly at any time to protect the lives and safety of Korean seafarers in the future, according to the ministry.
The oceans ministry also held a separate meeting, in which Minister Hwang Jong-woo ordered Korean vessels in the strait to move to safer waters. Following the order, ships anchored off the UAE began to move toward Qatar, the oceans ministry said.
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