[ad_1]
The destroyer and its crew of 300, specialized in the fight against piracy, arrived in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry announced in Seoul on Tuesday.
The destroyer’s job is “to ensure the safety of our citizens.” The warship has been in the region since late last year and is not considered an offensive action, said an anonymous military spokesman for South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. “This issue must be resolved diplomatically.”
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has since announced that a delegation will be sent to Tehran “as soon as possible” to secure the release of the tanker and the 20 crew members in bilateral negotiations.
South Korea had previously summoned the Iranian ambassador. At the meeting in Seoul with Ambassador Saeed Badamkhi Shabestari, the head of the Africa and Middle East office, Koh Kyung-sok, expressed his regret over the incident and demanded an advance clearance of the ship and the release of the crew members. South Korean media reported.
The crew was safe and sound, the ambassador said before the meeting began. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard arrested the chemical and oil tanker “Hankuk Chemi” in the Persian Gulf on Monday on charges of marine pollution. According to information provided by the Revolutionary Guards, the ship headed for the port city of Bandar Abbas. The tanker had loaded 7,200 tons of petrochemical products. Ship operator DM Shipping in Busan, South Korea, rejected the allegations, according to Yonhap.
Meanwhile, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun plans to travel to Tehran next week on a long-planned visit. The Iranian government is calling for the release of billions of dollars that have been frozen in South Korea on the basis of US sanctions against Iran. The governor of the Iranian central bank, Abdolnasser Hemmati, put the amount at the equivalent of 5.7 billion euros.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha did not comment on speculation that Iran wanted South Korea to release the frozen assets by seizing the tanker. “We first have to verify the facts and ensure the safety of the crew,” Kang said.
