South Korean Investigation Shows Unidentified Projectiles Struck HMM Ship

damage to cargo ship — Daamge to the hull of the HMM cargo ship (Foreign Ministry released photos)

South Korea continues its investigation into the damage to an HMM general cargo ship on May 4 while in the Persian Gulf. To put an end to the various speculations, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a briefing on May 10, saying two unidentified projectiles struck the ship, causing the fire that disabled the vessel.

The HMM Namu (38,314 dwt) was towed to Dubai and is now in the Drydocks World shipyard. Investigators from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ Marine Safety Tribunal, as well as forensic experts from the National Fire Agency, began their investigation of the vessel on May 8. They are collecting evidence from the engine room of the vessel, reviewing CCTV footage, and interviewing the captain.

Based on the CCTV footage and the captain’s accounts, the Ministry says it is certain the vessel was struck by two unidentified "aerial objects" at an interval of about one minute on the afternoon of May 4 while it was anchored off the UAE port of Umm Al Quwain. The vessel was stuck on its port side about 1 to 1.5 meters (approximately 3 to 5 feet) above sea level, hitting a ballast tank. The penetration is approximately 5 meters (16.5 feet) wide and entered approximately 7 meters (23 feet) into the ship and shows signs of explosive pressure on the exterior of the ship.

They believe the first explosion sparked the fire near the point of impact on the hull near the top of the tank. The second strike caused the fire to rapidly expand, and it ultimately consumed the engine room.

The second impact caused the fire to rapidly spread in the engineering spaces (Foreign Ministry)

The Ministry refused to identify the nature of the object that struck the ship, saying the CCTV was not clear enough to determine what type of object was involved. They are collecting evidence from the engine room for further investigation, saying it would likely reveal the specific nature of the attack, and they are also looking to identify the origins of the components.

The reports are speculating that it was most likely an anti-ship missile because of the surface-skimming nature of the attack. The reports are saying a cruise missile would have caused much more extensive damage to the vessel. It is hard for a drone to conduct such a low-level attack.

The Ministry also sought to put to rest the speculation that the ship struck a mine or that it was a machinery failure. They said there were no problems with the vessel’s engines, generators, or boilers. HMM Namu is a general cargo ship that was completed earlier this year and had only recently entered service for HMM. The 24 crewmembers, including six South Koreans, were uninjured.

While refusing to speculate on involvement in the attack, the Ministry, however, did summon the Iranian ambassador, Saeed Koozechi. The embassy had previously issued a statement denying Iranian involvement in the attack. Business Korea says the ambassador today described the incident to the media as an “accident.” Iran’s Press TV, shortly after the attack, highlighted the requirement for Iranian approval to transit the Strait of Hormuz and cited “violations of maritime regulations.”

Donald Trump had used the incident to demand that South Korea get involved in supporting the United States in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He said Iran had “taken some shots” at a South Korean vessel.

The South Korean government is being criticized domestically for its slow and cautious response to the incident. It continues to say it will investigate the details and take an appropriate response.