Two Unidentified Airborne Objects Strike South Korean Cargo Ship HMM Namu in Strait of Hormuz

South Korean shipping company HMM has begun preparations to repair the cargo vessel HMM Namu after it was struck twice in the stern by two unidentified airborne objects last week in the Strait of Hormuz. A government investigation team concluded on Sunday that the objects caused an explosion and fire aboard the Panama-flagged ship, which was operating in the key waterway at the time.

The presidential Blue House condemned the attack in the strongest terms on Monday and said it is working to determine who was behind it and identify the type of objects involved.

The attack left a 7-meter-wide rupture in the hull. Investigators found the internal frame had bent inward while the outer hull plating protruded and warped outward. Holes were discovered in the engine room floor and some equipment appeared to have been damaged by fire.

Repairs to the 38,000-deadweight-tonnage vessel are expected to take several months. "It would be difficult to repair the vessel within one or two months," an HMM official told Yonhap News Agency. The company is reviewing whether necessary parts can be secured locally in Dubai, where the ship is anchored at Drydocks World Dubai, the Middle East's largest ship repair yard.

None of the ship's 24 crew members were injured, including six South Koreans. Damage to the vessel was identified in a forensic inspection by South Korean officials and experts at a port in Dubai. The damage was not known earlier because of its position in the lower port stern.

Experts conducted an initial forensic analysis of the damage to the port stern, a Blue House official said. The attack had led to a fire in the vessel's engine room. The HMM Namu was not in violation of any rules in effect at the time in the waters off the United Arab Emirates, the official added.

Wi Sung-lac, South Korea's presidential national security adviser, said the presidential office is working to determine responsibility. "We condemn this in the strongest terms," Wi Sung-lac told a news briefing. South Korea's presidential Blue House condemned in the strongest terms an attack against the cargo ship HMM Namu.