A cargo ship owned by a South Korean shipping company, HMM, exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz Monday, South Korean media reported. US President Donald Trump unilaterally labeled the incident an“Iranian attack” at the White House Friday and urged South Korea to participate in the“Freedom Plan” for the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s embassy in South Korea on Monday strongly denied any suggestion of Iranian military involvement. On the cargo ship explosion, the South Korean government cautious response, insisted that the first to identify the“Ship explosion fire causes” position. “The Korea Herald” 6, said Seoul insisted on taking action before the evidence, which is conducive to maintaining strategic autonomy.
A woman walks past a poster advertising the HMM company on May 6 in Seoul, South Korea. On May 4, a HMM cargo ship exploded in the Strait of Hormuz.
First damage to Korean merchant ship in Hormuz
A cargo ship belonging to South Korean shipping company HMM exploded and burst into flames in the Strait of Hormuz near the United Arab Emirates, Yonhap reported Wednesday. It is the first time a South Korean ship has been damaged in the area since the -ISRAELI war.
South Korea’s foreign ministry confirmed the news on the 5th, and said the ship has all the fire extinguished, the ship’s 24 crew members (including 6 Korean crew) are safe. Blue House spokesman said the same day, the ROK has transferred the accident ship to a nearby port, and sent officials and experts to the local investigation of the accident, is expected to find out the cause of several days.
Although the cause of the incident is not yet clear, the United States has taken the lead in making a“Politicized” color of the judgment. According to the Yonhap news agency, Trump said in a social media post on the 4th that Iran had fired several times at ships from“Unrelated countries” such as South Korean cargo ships in response to the US“Freedom Plan.” “Now it looks like it’s time for South Korea to join the war.”. The report said Trump had not specified the basis on which he believed Iran had attacked the South Korean ship.
Trump again singled out South Korea when he spoke about Iran at the White House Friday. “Most of the oil from Japan and South Korea passes through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding: “The South Korean ships were not in the [ US military escort ] fleet, chose to act alone and were heavily attacked, while none of the ships we were protecting were attacked.”
“Hankoreh daily” 6, said Trump repeatedly said that the South Korean cargo ship exploded near the Strait of Hormuz fire, because not in the U. s.-led“Freedom Plan” under the protection. He also identified the incident as“Iran attack” caused, and took the opportunity to pressure South Korea to participate in the U. S.-LED escort operations.
South Korea waits for change
For the U. S. pressure, according to Yonhap news agency reported that the Blue House 5, said that to identify the exact cause of the incident is a top priority. The government is taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of South Korean sailors and ships and maintaining necessary communication with relevant countries. The government is working to identify the specific causes and will take follow-up measures accordingly. The spokesman of the Blue House said that the South Korean side adheres to the position that“Ensuring the safety of international sea lanes and freedom of navigation is in the common interest of all countries and should be protected by international law.” Actively participate in the international community for the Global Maritime Logistics Network as soon as possible to restore stability efforts. Regarding the US side’s request for South Korea to participate in military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesman only vaguely stated that South Korea and the US have always maintained close communication on the issue of safe passage through major sea lanes, including the strait.
South Korean media that, as a core ally of the United States, South Korea is difficult to completely ignore the U. S. request, but the cause of the incident has not yet been identified, and to send military forces to the Strait of Hormuz also face legal restrictions. Sending troops to the Strait of Hormuz, which is in a de facto state of war, would require congressional approval.
“The Korea Herald” 6, said South Korea to slow down the response speed, this is the right response. The government stressed that the primary task is to find out the cause of the explosion, this principle should be adhered to. Only by ascertaining the cause could it be determined whether the incident constituted an attack or a maritime accident in the sense of international law. Today, restraint is not indecisiveness, but statecraft, the report said. Seoul insists on having the evidence before taking action, which helps it retain strategic autonomy.
Iran’s embassy in South Korea, 6, said in a statement, for South Korean ships in the Strait of Hormuz explosion fire, the Iraqi side firmly opposed and strongly denied“All the Iraqi military intervention” argument. The embassy also warned that ignoring the demands could lead to“Unexpected situations” amid a stand-off with the US and rising regional tensions.
Notably, the US has put pressure on its allies while announcing a suspension of action. Trump said on the 5th that the US will temporarily suspend the“Freedom Program” to see if a deal can be reached, taking into account the request of Pakistan and other countries and the progress made in negotiations with the Iranian delegation. South Korea’s“Kyunghyang News” commented that the United States did not specify the progress of negotiations, “Freedom Plan” action to suspend only one day, reflecting its limited practical effect.
South Korea immediately breathed a sigh of relief at the new developments. Blue House National Security Director Wei Shengluo 6, said South Korea is preparing to participate in the“Freedom Plan” action, but since the action has been suspended, South Korea need not consider whether to participate.
Many allies are under pressure
In addition to South Korea, other allies have recently come under increasing pressure from the United States. U.S. Defense Secretary of Defense publicly accused European countries, Australia, Japan, South Korea and other allies of failing to assist the U.S. military, the Wall Street Journal reported. “We hope that South Korea will participate, and we expect Japan, Australia and Europe to do the same,” he said in response to questions about the attack on the South Korean ship, “The President made it clear, ‘this is their ship and they should be involved. ‘”.
El Pais newspaper said the US faced a dilemma over the Strait of Hormuz. The US suspended project liberty for fear of reigniting hostilities and has been pressing its allies to help end the resulting domestic political crisis.
South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper said the US had recently threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European cars, cutting the number of US troops in Germany by 5,000, citing Europe’s lack of support for its war with Iran. It also threatened to expel Spain from NATO over its refusal to allow its airspace. Reported that South Korea has actually rejected the United States to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz request, may also face an uncertain bill from the United States.
Major U.S. allies such as Canada, France, Britain and Germany are refusing to get involved in the war or help reopen the Strait of Hormuz despite threats, U.S. Daily Beast said, the US is becoming increasingly isolated.