Trump Says Iran Attacked South Korean Cargo Ship, Presses Seoul to Join US Operation

President Donald Trump said Iran attacked a South Korean cargo ship and pressed Seoul to join a US-led operation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a Truth Social post on May 4, Trump said Iran had fired several times at ships from countries not involved in Operation Liberation, including a South Korean cargo vessel. "It seems South Korea should join this operation as well," he wrote.

The South Korean government was checking the facts after identifying an explosion on a vessel operated by HMM in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the blast was caused by an Iranian attack.

Iran had not commented on the matter.

Trump has argued that an attack on a South Korean cargo ship adds to the need for South Korea's military to join a ship protection and escort mission to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. On March 14, he publicly called on five countries — South Korea, China, Japan, the UK and France — to dispatch warships to the waterway.

He has also said countries that would be heavily affected by any Iranian attempt to block the strait should join escort operations for ships passing through it.

Trump has put pressure on allies including South Korea and Japan to make greater military contributions, noting that tens of thousands of US troops are stationed in those countries. When they did not respond immediately and instead took a cautious stance, he expressed disappointment and said the US is "strong enough on its own."

If the vessel is ultimately confirmed to have been damaged in an Iranian attack, the South Korean government's decision-making is likely to become more complicated. That includes its response to South Korean ships stranded around the strait and Washington's request that it join the operation.

Trump has also retaliated against European countries, including Germany, that ignored his demands for support related to the war with Iran, using measures such as higher tariffs and cuts to the US troop presence in Germany. That adds to the pressure on Seoul.

The US military began Operation Liberation on May 4 to extract ships from multiple countries stranded by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said US forces sank seven Iranian small boats during the operation. He added that, aside from the South Korean vessel, no damage had occurred so far during passage through the strait.

Kim So-yeon, Hankyung.com reporter sue123@hankyung.com