May 11, 2026
SEOUL – A Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified flying object earlier this month, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday, following a joint government investigation into a fire aboard the ship.
According to the ministry, a seven-member joint government investigation team conducted an on-site probe Friday into the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier operated by South Korean shipping company HMM.
The investigation found that an unidentified flying object struck the stern of the vessel on May 4, the ministry said in a text message sent to reporters.
Officials said there were limitations in determining the exact type and physical size of the object at this stage, adding that further analysis would be conducted on debris collected at the scene.
The inspection was carried out after the vessel was towed from waters near the Strait of Hormuz to Dubai on Friday following the explosion and fire.
A presidential office official said earlier in the day that the government had received preliminary findings from the on-site investigation and that relevant agencies were reviewing and assessing the results before announcing conclusions on the cause of the fire.
The investigation team reportedly included three inspectors affiliated with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and four forensic specialists from the National Fire Agency. The team is understood to have examined the vessel’s voyage data recorder and onboard security camera footage, while also interviewing crew members.
The explosion occurred the same day the United States launched “Project Freedom,” an operation aimed at helping guide stranded vessels through the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
The government had maintained a cautious stance on the cause of the incident amid competing speculation over whether the fire resulted from an external attack or an internal malfunction.
There were 24 crew members aboard the vessel, including six South Koreans. The fire was extinguished by the crew roughly four hours after it broke out.