![A Korean vessel captured by Iran, the'Korea Chemie', is moving in the Persian Gulf on January 4 under surveillance by a high-speed boat of the Revolutionary Guard. [AFP=연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202104/06/e41d79b8-921d-452b-96af-ce3d4df982c3.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
A Korean vessel captured by Iran, the’Korea Chemie’, is moving in the Persian Gulf on January 4 under surveillance by a high-speed boat of the Revolutionary Guard. [AFP=연합뉴스]
It said that the Iranian government is positively reviewing the case regarding the Korean ship’Korea Chemie’, which is being held in Iran. It is noteworthy whether it will have a positive effect on the release of the Kemiho in Korea as Iran, which is commencing talks with the United States and the like to return to the nuclear agreement, has conducted an investigation in a direction that will help ships in a government statement.
Talks ahead of the talks on the return of nuclear agreement with the US
According to Iran’s Fars news agency, the Iranian government said in a comment on the 5th (local time) that the detained ship issue is a separate issue from the relationship between the two countries (Iran and Korea), and that the judiciary is positively reviewing the case. “There was a serious request from the Korean government and there was no criminal record of the captain,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Said Kativzade at the press conference.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard captured the Korean Chemie in the waters near Oman on January 4th. Although they heard’environmental pollution’ as the reason for the capture, major foreign media cited Iran’s funds, which were frozen in Korean banks due to US economic sanctions, as the main cause. This is because Iran has complained to the Korean government over the $7 billion (about 7.9 trillion won) oil exports that are tied to Korea.
![On the 5th (local time), the Iranian government released a statement stating that the vessel detained via Twitter was a separate issue from the two countries (Iran and South Korea), and that the judiciary was positively reviewing the case. [트위터 캡처]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202104/06/bdc3b134-b1cd-4d14-bf73-9a885378b2c6.jpg?w=560&ssl=1)
On the 5th (local time), the Iranian government released a statement stating that the vessel detained via Twitter was a separate issue from the two countries (Iran and South Korea), and that the judiciary was positively reviewing the case. [트위터 캡처]
Earlier on the 2nd, a diplomatic official said that Iran’s attitude seems to have changed positively in relation to the local situation in Iran, and that the captain is likely to be released sooner or later. Currently, 14 people are staying in Iran, including the detained captain, including 5 Korean sailors, 6 Myanmarians, 2 Vietnamese and 1 Indonesian. This is the minimum number of personnel required to operate the Korean Chemie under international law.
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun is also preparing to visit Iran in the middle of this month to end the release issue. In this regard, spokesman Kativjade said, “There was a request from South Korea and we welcomed it,” he said. “We expect the Korean Prime Minister to come up with a practical solution to the problem of Iran’s frozen assets in Korea.”
At a regular briefing on the 6th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a regular briefing on the 6th that it was welcoming to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s comment that it is positively reviewing the case of detaining Korean ships. Foreign Ministry spokesman Choi Young-sam said, “I sincerely look forward to the announcement of the good news that the detention of our ships will be lifted as soon as possible.” .
Meanwhile, on the 6th, Iran holds talks on the return of the nuclear agreement (JCPOA) in Vienna, Austria. The United States, Iran, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China will participate in the talks to discuss the restoration of the nuclear agreement. According to foreign media, it is known that the issue of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea was dealt with during the discussions on holding the talks.
Reporters Jeong Young-gyo and Park Hyun-ju [email protected]
