South Korea Confirms Airborne Hits on HMM Ship in Hormuz

SEOUL - A South Korean government investigation has determined that two unidentified airborne objects struck a cargo vessel operated by the South Korean shipping firm HMM in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, causing an explosion and fire aboard the ship, the Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.

The Panama-flagged vessel, Namu, was anchored in the strait near the United Arab Emirates when the objects hit its stern approximately one minute apart at 3:30 p.m. local time. A seven-member government team conducted an onsite inspection after the ship was towed to a port in Dubai on Friday. The strikes created a breach about five to seven meters wide in the portside ballast tank and hull plating, penetrating to the interior and igniting a fire in the engine room that spread rapidly, ministry spokesperson Park Il said at a briefing. No injuries occurred among the 24 crew members, including six South Koreans.

Closed-circuit television footage captured the objects, but officials said limitations prevented identifying their exact type, origin, or size. "The likelihood of the objects being mines or torpedoes appears to be low," Park said. The ministry ruled out causes related to the ship's...