<Anchor>
Our government has requested Iran to lift the detention as soon as possible.
The Cheonghae unit was also dispatched immediately.
There is a reporter in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Reporter Hak-Hwi Kim, please tell the government response.
<Reporter>
Yes, the government has been focusing on confirming the exact location of the Korean Kemi and the safety of its crew from right after it became aware of the detention yesterday (4th).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested the Iranian side to lift the early detention of the'Korean Kemiho', and it is known that it is requesting an accurate understanding of the circumstances through the Iranian embassy in Korea.
However, it is reported that the Korean government has not yet confirmed the safety of 20 sailors, including the captain in his 60s and 5 Koreans.
The Ministry of National Defense also dispatched the Cheonghae unit Choi Young-ho near the Strait of Hormuz and took safeguards against Korean ships sailing in the nearby waters.
It is known that the Cheonghae Corps Choi Young-ship, which departed from the waters south of Muscat Port in Oman, arrived near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has cited the continued threat of environmental pollution from South Korea's Kemiho as a reason for detention, but the government is grasping the Iranian side's exact intentions without excluding the possibility that the actual intentions may be elsewhere.
The government is paying attention to the growing tensions between the United States and Iran in the Gulf waters, including the Hormuz Strait.
On the 3rd, a day before the outbreak, Iran has foretold retaliation against the United States and its allies in the first cycle of the death of the Iranian military sergeant Gasem Soleimani, which was killed in a drone raid.
Reuters said the US State Department is calling for the immediate release of the Korean oil tanker.