Category: International Headlines

It should not be surprising that the Iranian regime is willing to blatantly lie despite smoking gun evidence they committed the attack:

Two missiles were fired. The first warhead failed to explode, while the second struck the vessel’s stern hull.

Following the briefing, the foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador to South Korea, Saeed Koozechi, to protest the attack and demand accountability from Tehran.

However, the Iranian envoy denied his country’s involvement in the strike. Speaking to reporters, he said he was personally sorry for the incident but insisted that Iran was not responsible and had never been involved in the attack.

The Iranian Embassy has yet to release an official statement regarding the findings.

Iran must clarify its position on the Korean foreign ministry’s briefing. Tehran’s silence will only fuel speculation and suspicions that it is hiding something.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Does anyone believe these Gaza activists that they were beaten and tortured by the IDF?:

The foreign ministry said Monday it has pressed Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into claims by two South Korean activists that they were assaulted by Israeli forces after being detained aboard aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip.

The ministry said it called in deputy Israeli ambassador to South Korea to its office Saturday and conveyed its concerns over those allegations.

The two activists, Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon, returned home Friday following their release. Upon arrival, they both said they had been assaulted by Israeli forces, with Kim Ah-hyun claiming that she had lost some hearing in her left ear because she had been struck on that side of the face several times.

The ministry said it demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and stressed that appropriate measures must be taken if inhumane acts by Israeli forces are found to be true.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

With US having a hard time keeping up with demand for Patriot interceptors causing the Gulf states to look at other options to rearm:

“Six weeks of relentless air bombardment sapped air defense stocks in the Middle East. Now begins the scramble to rearm.

With a fragile cease-fire in place between the U.S. and Iran, America’s closest allies in the region—and some of the best customers for U.S. weapons systems—are scanning the world for alternative missile defenses, getting creative about ways to bolster defenses quickly.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are turning to South Korean missile-defense systems, Ukrainian drones that smash into targets midair and traditional American Gatling guns. ”

Wall Street Journal

You can read more at the link, but Hanhwa’s M-SAM is a top priority for these countries to acquire before round three of the Iran War kicks off.

As expected the Lee administration is going with the strongly worded letter approach in response to the Iranian attack on a Korean ship:

The damaged hull of Korean-operated, Panama-flagged cargo vessel HMM Namu, which was hit by unidentified airborne objects while near the Strait of Hormuz, May 4 / Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A senior Korean government official said Thursday that Iran is almost certainly behind the attack on the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, while stressing that an investigation is still underway and vowing a “diplomatic offensive” against those responsible once confirmed.

“Although the investigation is not yet conclusive, based on common sense, it is unlikely any actor other than Iran was responsible for the attack,” the official said, noting there were no pirates operating in the area at the time.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It is pretty clear that Korea like all the other international countries are going to delay any military support to opening the Strait of Hormuz as long as possible:

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pose ahead of their talks at the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

 Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Wednesday he has told his U.S. counterpart that Seoul will review making phased contributions to Washington’s initiative in restoring safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to reporters at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, Ahn said Seoul conveyed to Washington that it would “participate as a responsible member of the international community and review ways to contribute in phases” while sharing details of his discussions with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon earlier this week.

Ahn cited the declaring of support, dispatching personnel, sharing information and providing military assets as possible means of participation.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The Lee administration probably wants to drag out this investigation of the explosion on the ROK cargo ship in order to prevent having to answer hard questions on what to do in response to if it was an Iranian strike:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that a Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without U.S. protection in the Strait of Hormuz — a focal point of the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran.

“The corresponding ship, for several days before the fire broke out, had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement.

The remarks followed an explosion of unidentified cause that triggered a fire aboard the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by Korean shipping company HMM, Monday.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the Iranians through a tantrum and went after a docked ship after the U.S. military successfully brought ships through the supposedly closed Strait of Hormuz. Fortunately it doesn’t appear anyone was hurt on the South Korean ship:

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran has taken shots at a South Korean cargo ship and other targets, noting that it is time for Seoul to participate in a mission to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Trump made the remarks in a social media post as the United States launched an operation, called Project Freedom, to guide commercial vessels stranded by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, out of the waterway, a key shipping route for oil, fertilizer and other commodities.

“Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ Boats. It’s all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait,” he added.

Trump’s comment on the South Korean vessel came after Seoul’s foreign ministry said that an explosion occurred on a Panama-flagged ship operated by HMM Co., a major South Korean shipping firm, in the Strait of Hormuz, and that the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

The ship was anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates within the strait. It was carrying 24 crew members on board — six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. No casualties were reported.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but the Iranians could sink a South Korean ship and I doubt the Lee administration would do anything about it other than issuing a strongly worded letter. Most of the world realizes the closure of the Strait is a major problem and breach of international law, but would instead prefer the U.S. to do the heavy lifting to open it. They blame the Trump administration for the current conflict while ignoring the fact what would happen if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon and then decided to charge tolls on the Strait? What would the world do then in that scenario? Issue lots of strongly worded letters?

These analysts make no sense when they claim that Korea could send ships to protect civilians vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz only if the safety of their Naval ships can be guaranteed. If there was no threat then there would be no need for a naval escort. A naval escort is needed precisely because there is a threat:

Under the current circumstances, a security analyst said, it is a good choice for Seoul to expand its participation in multinational coalitions, led by either the U.S. or the U.K. and France, but warned that it could “complicate the possible deployment of military assets when required.”

“We don’t have a clear picture of how the coalitions will develop, especially considering the unpredictable nature of Trump,” he said on condition of anonymity.

The analyst listed possible military operations, including protecting civilian vessels and conducting mine-clearing activities. “These activities should be carefully coordinated, considering the limited assets we can deploy, with guarantees on the safety of these assets as a prerequisite,” he said.

According to military and security sources, two feasible early-stage contribution options for the U.S.- and European-led coalitions may include sending liaison officers or personnel to multinational force headquarters to facilitate communication, or engaging in intelligence sharing.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This phone call iwill accomplish nothing to reopen the Strait, but creates the appearance that the ROK government is “doing something” to reopen the Strait and lower gas prices:

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (R) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during their meeting on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 25, 2025, in this file photo provided by South Korea’s foreign ministry.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Saturday and called for the resumption of safe navigation of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign ministry said.

During the talks, Cho noted that South Korean and other international vessels remain anchored in the crucial waterway, stressing the need to ensure their safe resumption of navigation, according to the ministry.

He also expressed hope for the swift restoration of peace and stability, citing the broader impact of the conflict on global security and the economy, while Araghchi outlined Iran’s position on negotiations with the United States.

The call marked the third conversation between the two ministers since the conflict began in late February following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, with the latest call made at the request of the Iranian side, the ministry added.

A total of 26 South Korean vessels, with more than 170 crew members on board, have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

I am sure South Korea will assist with opening the Strait of Hormuz by writing strongly worded letters to Tehran:

South Korea is considering various options, including playing diplomatic, humanitarian or military roles, to contribute to international efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a senior foreign ministry official said Tuesday.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.