<Anchor>
Next, we will share the news regarding our ship being held in Iran.
Our government working-level delegation departed for Iran at the dawn of today (7th).
However, as the Iranian government officially announced that a diplomatic visit is not necessary, negotiations are unlikely to be easy.
Kwak Sang-eun is a reporter.
<Reporter> The
government working-level delegation headed by the head of the Middle East Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs departed for Iran this morning.
[Kyung-Seok Go/Director of Working-Level Representative (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Africa Middle East Bureau): I need to cooperate with the embassy and establish a strategy.
As far as possible, we will continue to contact, interview, and discuss with
Iranian officials
.] The
delegation explained that our consul in Iran met with the captured sailors and was confirmed by Iranian prosecutors to ensure minimal communication was possible.
Upon arrival, the plan is to conduct consultations in various aspects for the prompt release of detained crew members.
The problem is the lukewarm attitude of the Iranian government.
A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday that "I cannot understand the actions of the Korean government in relation to the incident," and that "a diplomatic visit is not necessary."
It is analyzed that the situation in which the voices of hard-line conservatives, such as the revolutionary guards that captured ships in Iran, are growing, can also be an obstacle to diplomatic negotiations.
[Ji-hyang Jang/Director of Middle East Research Center, Asan Institute for Policy Studies: As President Trump unilaterally abolished the Iran nuclear agreement, radical anti-American hard-liners gained power in Iran, and moderate reformers lost a lot of space.]
Cooperation of Iranian hard-liners There are voices saying that it is necessary to prepare strategies for prolonging negotiations as well as preparing strategies to bring out the future.