ISTANBUL, May 5 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Seoul is reviewing a US proposal on "Project Freedom" regarding the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential office said Tuesday, a day after a South Korean vessel caught fire in the key waterway, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing local media.
"The government holds the principle that safety at international maritime passages and free navigation meet all nations' common interest and should be protected according to the international law," Cheong Wa Dae, or Blue House, said in a statement, according to the Korea Times outlet.
It added, "We are reviewing the US proposal about the Strait of Hormuz based on the principle, the military readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula and domestic laws. About Project Freedom, (South) Korea and the US have been closely communicating for safe use of key waterways, including the Hormuz Strait."
The presidential office on Tuesday held discussions on Seoul’s “response” to the fire that broke out following an explosion aboard a bulk carrier operated by a major South Korean shipping company in the Strait of Hormuz.
Soon after the incident, US President Donald Trump called on Seoul to join a US-led mission in the waterway. The mission, according to the US, aims at guiding stranded ships safely out of the key waterway -- which remains blocked by Iran, as well as American forces.
Seoul said it was taking all necessary measures to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the explosion aboard the Korean-operated vessel in the strait.
“We will be able to determine the exact cause of the incident when inspecting the damage once the ship is towed,” the Foreign Ministry said.
After the discussions, the presidential office said, "It is expected to take several days to analyse the cause," according to Yonhap News.
The vessel "will be towed to a nearby port using a tugboat for investigation, with investigators from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal and the National Fire Agency to be dispatched", said the office.
The incident occurred late Monday while the HMM Namu was anchored off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and has been left disabled.
The blaze originated in the engine room, where crew members battled the fire for about four hours using the ship’s carbon dioxide systems.
All 24 crew members, comprising six South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals, were confirmed safe.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
An official with South Korea's HMM Co., which operates the carrier, said it remains unclear whether the incident was caused by an external attack or an internal malfunction.
Twenty-six South Korean-flagged ships remain stranded in the strait.
Following the incident, Trump urged South Korea to join the Hormuz mission, saying that “perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission."
On Monday, Iranian state media reported that two missiles struck a US Navy vessel near Jask Island in the Gulf of Oman, but Washington firmly denied the claim.
Tensions have escalated as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier warned that any vessels violating transit protocols issued by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz "will be forcefully stopped".
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel, as well as US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of Hormuz.
Since April 13, the US has enforced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.
A two-week ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by direct talks in Islamabad on April 11-12, but no agreement was reached on a lasting truce.
Trump later extended the ceasefire without setting a new deadline, following a request from Pakistan.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
