A South Korea-owned vessel has departed from the Red Sea, the first Korean ship to use it as an alternative route to transport crude oil amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the government said Friday.
“It is welcome news that, for the first time since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a South Korean vessel is safely transporting crude oil via the Red Sea,” President Lee Jae Myung said on X, praising officials and crew for their efforts.
Although some oil already comes to Korea via the Red Sea, oil exporters had preferred to use the Strait of Hormuz in the past, partly because the Red Sea route carries the risk of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. This is the first to substitute a Hormuz shipment with one from a Red Sea port.
The Oceans Ministry has since worked with relevant agencies and industry players to implement the plan. It also provided round-the-clock monitoring and safety support while the vessel traveled through the Red Sea, including real-time communication with the ship and its operator.
The successful passage comes as South Korea scrambles to secure oil from the Middle East, from which it sources about 70 percent of its crude imports. More than 95 percent of those shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the country vulnerable to disruptions.
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo said the government would continue working with related agencies and the industry to ensure the safe and stable transport of crude oil to South Korea.
milaya@heraldcorp.com
