(EDITORIAL from The Korea Herald on May 12)

Fired upon in Hormuz: Seoul must identify attacker, respond firmly, seek guarantees for safe passage The South Korean government said Sunday that the explosion and fire aboard the Namu, a cargo ship operated by South Korea's HMM, in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 were "caused by an external strike." A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "The investigation confirmed that two unidentified airborne objects struck the stern of the HMM vessel at intervals of about one minute." The two consecutive strikes strongly suggest that the attack was deliberate. Had the attack struck slightly lower, the vessel might have sunk. This is a shocking incident comparable to the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan by North Korea. The ministry said it remains unclear whether Iran was behind the attack, adding that investigators would conduct further analysis of debris recovered from the scene. The ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador to South Korea to its headquarters and briefed him on the investigation findings. Although the ministry stopped short of officially identifying the attacker, that the incident occurred in the inner Strait of Hormuz, an area within Iran's sphere of influence, and that it summoned the Iranian ambassador after the investigation, strongly suggest Iran as being behind the attack. Speculation emerged early on that Iran was behind the attack, as it has previously carried out strikes in the region not only against US naval vessels, but also against ships from other countries. Shortly after the Namu incident, US President Donald Trump said that the incident was caused by an Iranian attack. However, a senior presidential official said, "The cause of the explosion is still unknown. It is not yet clear whether the vessel was struck." The official added, "The matter first needs to be investigated, and that will take quite some time." The South Korean government avoided the term "attack." We cannot but ask why it had to. It is questionable if intelligence was not shared. Iran's state-run Press TV reported on Wednesday that a South Korean ship became a target after violating its newly established maritime regulations. The following day, however, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul dismissed the report, saying the article did not represent the official position of the Iranian government. In the end, the South Korean government's investigation concluded that the incident was in fact caused by an attack. It also raises the possibility that Iran's hard-line military, which reportedly operates on a different line from the Iranian government, may have carried out the attack upon its own initiative. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday that a closer examination is needed regarding the strike. While conducting a thorough investigation is the right approach in principle, the government should not drag the process out unnecessarily. Not only the South Korean public, but also the rest of the world is watching how the South Korean government responds. Now that it has been confirmed that the vessel was attacked, it is essential to determine whether the airborne objects were drones or missiles and, above all, who was responsible for the attack. The attack on the Namu is a grave incident that threatened the safety of the South Korean people. The government must respond firmly. An issue involving a threat to public safety must not be brushed aside without a clear resolution. If further investigation confirms that Iran was behind the launch of the projectiles, the South Korean government should lodge a strong protest with Tehran and demand measures to prevent a recurrence. Given that South Korean vessels are still effectively trapped in the Persian Gulf, Seoul should obtain assurances from Iran that they will be able to pass through the strait safely. It should also consider participating actively in international coalition initiatives for Hormuz.(END)