[단독]A month ago, “Danger of capture of Korean ships”…

Several government sources said on the 6th that prior to the capture of the Korean Chemiho, a Korean nationality, by Iran in the Middle East on the 4th of the Hormuz Strait, the intelligence authorities have communicated to relevant ministries the possibility of a seizure threat in the area.

These sources, who requested anonymity, said, “Last December, the intelligence authorities obtained information about the threat, including the possibility of seizure by private ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and then spread it to the security department.”

One source said, “The details of the information were ambiguous, but attention had to be paid in consideration of the rising tensions in this area,” he said. “The relevant ministries may not have taken concrete measures because they are not sensitive to the possibility of threats.”

The last 3 days mark the first anniversary of the death of the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s army, Soleimani Kuds, in a US air raid. Iran has repeatedly emphasized retaliation for the murder of Soleimani.

It has not been confirmed what level of expression and content were contained in the intelligence that the intelligence authorities understood and spread. However, it is expected that the relevant ministries were insensitive to the protection of Korean ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as the ship was captured despite prior warnings from the intelligence authorities.

In this regard, it is questionable why the Cheonghae unit dispatched to protect the safe navigation of Korean ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Hormuz did not seek to protect the Korean Chemie.

This is because the Iranian navy could not preemptively attempt to seize in the territorial waters if the Korean Chemie moved together under the protection of the Cheonghae unit. In particular, the fact that the intelligence authorities informed the relevant ministries of the threat of seizure in advance, is expected to bring controversy that the military could not defend the site at the most necessary moment to protect Korean merchant ships despite prior warning.

Another source said, “The Cheonghae unit was scheduled to participate in multinational training led by the United States from the 4th. On the 8th To come out I did.”

Meanwhile, there is a prospect that the US could mobilize two aircraft carriers in the Strait of Hormuz earlier next month to pressure Iran.

The Theodore Roosevelt, which left San Diego in the United States in December of last year, recently entered the Pacific Ocean. The Nimitz ship, already deployed in the Middle East, was originally planned to meet the Theodore Roosevelt ship in the Pacific and change missions.

However, as tensions in the Middle East rose, Nimitz decided to stay until the Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the Middle East. The ship Nimitsu has been on the mission for 10 months and is in a state of high crew fatigue.

Park Won-gon, a professor at Handong University, said, “The two countries are struggling during the US regime change, which the Biden government will be inaugurated on the 20th.” “It is worth considering a plan for the US to put two carriers before negotiations to pressure Iran.” Said.

Reporter Park Yonghan [email protected]