<Anchor> The Korean
government is demanding an official protest from Iran, which is holding our ship, and to release it quickly.
The working-level delegation will also depart for Iran today (6th) as soon as possible.
Reporter Kim Hye-young reports.
<Reporter>
Several high-speed boats closely follow behind the Korean national ship'Korea Chemie'.
They even mobilize military helicopters to search the ship and stop the ship.
This is the situation at the time of detention that was revealed yesterday by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The Korean Chemi, departing from Saudi Arabia and heading to the UAE, was detained while passing through the waters near Oman that afternoon, and is now being investigated at Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
Iran says a ship carrying 7,200 tons of chemicals has caused marine pollution and is being investigated.
[Izmail Makizade/Hormuz Vice Minister of Maritime Affairs: The vessel was arrested at the port of Bandar Abbas, as ordered by local judicial authorities.] An
Iranian government spokesman argued that the capture of a Korean vessel in Iran was a hostage
act.
Dismissing it, he refuted that US $7 billion of Iranian funds, currently held in South Korea, held hostage because of US sanctions against Iran
It is said that all 20 sailors, including 5 Koreans, including the Korean captain, were safe.
[Side Badamchi Shavestari/Iran Ambassador to Korea: (Are the sailors safe?) All are safe.]
Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Iranian Ambassador Shavestari to the Republic of Korea to find out what happened and make an official protest.
The first vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong-Geon said on the 10th, and the working-level delegation headed by the head of the Middle East region is scheduled to depart for Iran as early as today to continue discussions.