▲ Said Badamchi Shavestari, Ambassador of Iran to Korea
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited the Iranian Ambassador to Korea in connection with the detention of the Korean Kemiho on the afternoon of the 5th.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Affairs Bureau of the Middle East Ko Gyeong-seok asked Iran's Ambassador Savestari to Korea about the arrest of the Korean Chemie and requested the removal of detention.
In addition, we are focusing on confirming the exact location of the Korean Chemie and the safety of crew through diplomatic channels.
It is known that there is no abnormality in the safety of 20 sailors including the captain in his 60s and 5 Koreans.
Cheonghae Corps Choi Young-ham departed from the waters south of Muscat Port in Oman and arrived near the Strait of Hormuz this morning and is keeping an eye on the situation.
Previously, the government took safety measures against Korean ships sailing in nearby waters.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has cited the continuing threat of environmental pollution from the Korean Chemie as a reason for detention, but the government is grasping the Iranian side's exact intentions without excluding the possibility that the actual intention may be elsewhere.
It is likely that the recent increasing tensions between the United States and Iran in the Gulf waters, including the Strait of Hormuz, influenced the incident.
The US State Department criticized the case in the name of a spokesman, saying, "It is clear that the Iranian government has attempted to gain relief from the international community," and called for "immediate release of detained Korean vessels."
(Photo = Yonhap News)