Confirmed vessel strike may shift Seoul stance on US-led Hormuz mission: experts

The confirmed strike by unidentified objects on a South Korean-operated cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz is expected to give Seoul grounds to consider joining U.S.-led missions aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation in the strait, experts said Sunday. Releasing the results of a government investigation, the foreign ministry said two "unidentified flying objects" were confirmed to have struck the cargo vessel, the Namu, one after the other in the Strait of Hormuz last Monday. The Panama-flagged cargo vessel, operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co., suffered an explosion and fire while stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. A seven-member government team conducted an on-site investigation aboard the vessel after it was towed from the scene to a port in Dubai on Friday. The attack left a 7-meter-wide rupture in the hull, although no injuries or casualties were reported among the 24 crew members on board, including six South Koreans. The foreign ministry has yet to identify the exact model or size of the flying objects due to "limitations." The ministry also said it will not prejudWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times