Korean oil tanker clears Red Sea in first since Hormuz blockade
A Korean ship carrying crude oil safely passed through the Red Sea, the country’s first successful use of the bypass route to the effectively blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Friday.
The vessel loaded crude oil at Yanbu, a Saudi Arabian port on the Red Sea.
While the Red Sea serves as an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway is also threatened by the Iran-backed Yemen Houthis.
The Ministry has been monitoring the situation in real time to ensure the safety of the vessel. It also provided safety information and operated a live communication channel with the ship.
The news signifies a success for the Korean government’s attempt to stabilize crude supply from the Middle East amid continuing uncertainties stemming from the Iran war, according to the Oceans Ministry.
“We will continue to do our utmost so that crude shipments to Korea by our vessels can proceed without disruption in the Middle East while keeping the safety of our ships and crews in mind,” Hwang Jong-woo, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said Friday.
President Lee Jae Myung sent a congratulatory message on his X, thanking the ministry, the sailors and everyone involved in the operation.
“It is delightful news to know that Korean ships were able to steadily transport crude oil through the Red Sea for the first time since the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz,” Lee said in his X account on Friday afternoon. “The government is focusing its utmost ability to get through the crisis caused by the Middle East war.”
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