Government Says It "Cannot Disclose" Whether Ship Data Was Given to Iran, While Touting Strong Ties With Israel

[Financial News] The South Korean government is reported to have passed information on 26 South Korean vessels detained in the Strait of Hormuz to the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, which would be the body able to transfer such data, took an ambiguous stance, neither confirming nor denying that ship information was provided to the Iranian side.
On the 14th, some political figures claimed that the South Korean government had delivered information on 26 vessels to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In response, an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea stated firmly, "We cannot reveal whether we have provided information on our ships isolated in the Strait of Hormuz to Iran."
Earlier, Saeed Koozechi, the Iranian ambassador to South Korea, reportedly paid a visit to the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly on the 25th of last month and, during a closed-door meeting with Chair Kim Seok-gi of the People Power Party (PPP) and others, formally requested a list and technical specifications of 26 South Korean ships. The South Korean government had previously maintained that it had "not received any official request at all from the Iranian government."
The official added only that "we are concentrating our highest level of diplomatic efforts and are engaged in bilateral and multilateral consultations with the countries concerned." A multilateral meeting led by the United Kingdom to discuss the issue of some 2,000 ships worldwide stranded in the Strait of Hormuz is scheduled to resume on the 15th. Jeong Ui-hye, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, is expected to attend on behalf of the South Korean government.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea dismissed concerns that diplomatic relations with the State of Israel might deteriorate following a social media post by President Lee Jae-myung.
President Lee Jae-myung recently posted footage on social media alleging inhumane acts by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and continued to comment on the issue, raising fears of worsening ties between the two countries. The foreign ministries of the State of Israel and South Korea exchanged expressions of regret on X (social network), leading to friction.
An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea said on this matter, "Relations between South Korea and the State of Israel will not enter a phase of heightened tension. The bilateral relationship is solid, and diplomatic communication has taken place." When asked by reporters whether this diplomatic communication meant a formal summons of staff from the Embassy of Israel in the Republic of Korea, the official replied, "There is no need to interpret it that way," indicating that Seoul had not called in embassy personnel to lodge a protest.

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter