Yonhap: South Korea Pulled Out Warship to Pacify Iran

Date: 18 January 2021 - 21:19

News ID: ۸۶۶۷۴

SEOUL (Dispatches) -- South Korea has moved its anti-piracy naval unit operating near the Strait of Hormuz away from the waterway to foster a positive mood ahead of negotiations with Iran over a detained oil tanker and its sailors, a diplomatic source told Yonhap news agency Monday.
The retreat of the Cheonghae Unit came before the South Korean delegation, led by First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun, arrived in Tehran on Jan. 10 for talks with senior Iranian officials over the detention and other issues.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) impounded the MT Hankuk Chemi over environmental pollution on Jan. 4. The ship, which was traveling from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, was carrying 20 crew members, including five Koreans.
"To create a good atmosphere for the negotiations, the Cheonghae Unit, to which Iran has responded sensitively, was taken away (from the strait),” the source said. "It was a decision to send a friendly signal to Iran ahead of the negotiations.”
A foreign ministry official here refused to confirm the unit’s retreat. "We ask for your understanding, as we cannot confirm anything about the operations of the Cheonghae Unit,” he said on condition of anonymity.
Shortly after the detention, South Korea sent the 4,400-tonne Choi Young destroyer of the naval unit to the waters near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari is said to have expressed to Seoul his displeasure over the deployment.
Last week’s talks to secure the release of the impounded vessel ended with little progress, with Tehran saying the detention is entirely a

"technical issue” subject to its legal and judicial regulations, despite Seoul’s pursuit of a diplomatic solution.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibi said at the time that the matter was moving along its legal path and did not require a diplomatic trip.
"The Korean government’s behavior in this regard is incomprehensible. ... We urge them to approach this technical issue rationally and responsibly,” Khatibzadeh said.
The Islamic Republic is already annoyed by South Korea’s refusal to release more than $7 billion in Iranian assets that Seoul owes to Tehran, under the pretext of U.S. sanctions.
According to the head of the Central Bank of Iran, South Korea has been using the assets, suggesting that Seoul’s refusal to repay them is intentional because other countries have found mechanisms to clear their debts under the sanctions.