Seoul to Announce Probe Results on Attack on South Korean Vessel in Hormuz

May 27, 2026

Seoul: 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.

“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.

High-Level Briefing Scheduled

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.

Vessel Damage and Initial Findings

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 said the possibility of a non-Iranian actor being behind the attack appeared slim, though the government has maintained a cautious stance on assigning blame.

Shortly after the incident, US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had “taken some shots” at the HMM vessel and other targets, but the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied any involvement.

After Seoul announced preliminary probe results indicating external strikes rather than internal causes, Iran did not issue any further statement.