Seoul To Disclose Probe Results On Attack Against South Korean Vessel In Hormuz

(MENAFN- IANS) Seoul, May 27 (IANS) The Seoul government was set to announce the outcome of its probe into a recent attack on a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said Wednesday.

A press briefing will be held later in the day at the foreign ministry, according to ministry officials.

On May 4, the HMM Namu, operated by major South Korean shipping company HMM Co., was hit by "two unidentified airborne objects" while stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran conflict, Yonhap News Agency reported.

A government investigation team has since conducted an in-depth analysis of engine debris recovered from the objects to determine their nature and identify those responsible for the incident.

"The ministry plans to hold a press briefing on the results of the investigation into the HMM Namu incident at 5 pm," the foreign ministry said in a message to reporters.

First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo plans to lead the briefing, with officials from the defence ministry and other relevant agencies expected to attend, it added.

The attack caused an explosion and fire aboard the ship, leaving one of the 24 crew members with minor injuries.

Speculation has persisted that either anti-ship missiles or drones may have been used in the attack on the vessel, with sources saying anti-ship missiles appear more likely to have been involved.

Attention is now focused on whether the ministry will officially identify the party responsible for the attack.

Earlier this month, a senior foreign ministry official told reporters that the possibility of a non-Iranian actor being behind the attack appeared slim, though the government has maintained a cautious stance on assigning blame for the incident.

Shortly after the attack, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran had "taken some shots" at the HMM vessel and other targets, but the Iranian Embassy in Seoul has stressed that Tehran "firmly and categorically" denies any involvement by its military in the incident.

After Seoul announced preliminary probe results showing that the explosion and fire aboard the vessel had been caused by external strikes rather than internal factors, Iran did not issue any additional statement.

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