Ministry of Foreign Affairs Summons Iranian Ambassador to Korea... Protests Detention of Korean Vessel

Iran Ambassador "All Crew Members Aboard Are Safe"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador to Korea to protest the seizure of a South Korean-flagged vessel by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

On the 5th, Ko Young-seok, Director General of the Africa and Middle East Bureau, called in Said Badamchi Shabestari, the Iranian ambassador to Korea, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Doryeom-dong, Seoul, at 1 p.m. and strongly expressed regret regarding the seizure of the South Korean-flagged vessel "Korea Chemi."

Director General Ko also conveyed the South Korean government's position and is believed to have requested the prompt release of the detained vessel.

Ambassador Shabestari, speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, responded to questions about the safety of the crew by saying, "They are all safe," and added, "There is no need to worry about their health." However, he avoided answering questions about the reasons for the detention and the timing of the release.

It is believed that Ambassador Shabestari conveyed the Iranian government's position, including the situation of the Korea Chemi crew, during his meeting with Director General Ko. Earlier, a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "According to reports from local authorities, this matter is entirely technical," and added, "The vessel was detained pursuant to a court order to investigate marine pollution."

Meanwhile, Minister Kang said in a meeting with reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on the morning of the same day, "We took initial measures yesterday and are monitoring the situation through the Iranian embassy in Korea and the South Korean embassy in Iran," and added, "We are making efforts to resolve this situation."

Regarding the analysis that Iran's seizure of the South Korean vessel is a complaint about the freezing of Iranian central bank funds in Korean won deposited in banks in South Korea, he said, "It is not the time to speak prematurely about such matters," emphasizing, "It is urgent to first ascertain the facts and confirm the safety of our crew."