South Korea probes explosion and fire on ship in Strait of Hormuz

South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Monday it was investigating an explosion and fire on a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, while also verifying a possible attack or hit on the vessel. ^{[1, 2]}

The ship was reported to be carrying 24 crew members, including 6 South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. The ministry said no casualties involving South Korean nationals had been confirmed so far. ^{[1, 2]}

One report identified the vessel as HMM Namu, a South Korean-flagged cargo ship, and said it was unclear whether the ship had been targeted by Iranian missiles. Another report said South Korea was checking whether the vessel had been struck by an external impact. ^{[1, 2]}

The incident was reported at around 8:40 p.m. KST, or 1140 GMT, on 2026-05-04. The ministry said it would “closely communicate with relevant countries” as it checked the situation. ^{[1, 2]}