In the afternoon of yesterday (4th) in our time, a Korean ship carrying chemicals from the Middle East was taken to Iran and detained. There were 20 people on board, including 5 Koreans and sailors from other countries, all of which were said to be safe. Iran claims the ship caused massive marine pollution. Accordingly, the Korean government dispatched the Cheonghae unit to the local area.
First, reporter Jung Hye-kyung.
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Several high-speed boats follow closely behind the Korean national ship’Korea Chemie’ with a scale of 17,000 tons.
He even mobilized a military helicopter to inspect the ship, and then stopped the ship and attached a high-speed boat to it.
This is the situation at the time of the detention of a Korean ship that was revealed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at dawn.
The Korean Chemi, departing from Saudi Arabia and heading to the UAE, was detained yesterday afternoon while passing through the waters near Oman in the Strait of Hormuz, and is now being investigated at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.
Iran said the ship, carrying 7,200 tons of chemicals, caused massive marine pollution and was being investigated under court order.
[이즈마일 마키자데/호르무즈주 해양부 차관 : 해당 선박은 이 지역 사법당국의 명령에 의해 저지되어, 반다르아바스항으로 나포됐습니다.]
It is said that all 20 sailors, including five Koreans, including the Korean captain on board, were safe.
The Korean shipping company Kemiho said that the Iranian forces approached the ship at around 4 pm our time yesterday, and that all communication with the ship was completely cut off when it arrived at the Port of Bandar Abbas.
Iran, which is struggling with the U.S., has recently begun raising the concentration of uranium to 20 percent, and has captured several ships whenever military tensions have risen.
The Korean government dispatched the Cheonghae unit’s Choi Young ship near the Strait of Hormuz, and the US State Department issued a statement to Iran to promptly lift the detention of Korean ships.
(Video coverage: Hong Jong-su, Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu, CG: Han Heung-soo, Seo Seung-hyun)
▶ “Environmental Pollution Investigation”… “No contaminants”
▶ Call the Iranian Ambassador to Korea to protest… Working delegation dispatched soon