![Park Jong Han, the Foreign Ministry’s coordinator for economic diplomacy, discusses the possibility of emergency supplies of crude oil and naphtha with Algerian officials. [Photo=Ministry of Foreign Affairs]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/04/17/20260417083847964889.jpg)
Park Jong-han, a ministry official, visited Algeria and Libya earlier this week to assess the possibility of securing emergency supplies of crude oil and naphtha, according to the ministry.
His four-day trip, which began last Monday, was part of efforts to secure alternative supply routes that would remain unaffected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of global oil supply, amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East.
Park met several ministers and senior officials in both countries as well as the heads of state-run oil companies including Algeria's Sonatrach and Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC).
Their talks covered mid- to long-term cooperation in the energy sector, as Libya is the world's 10th-largest oil producer and holds Africa's largest oil reserves, estimated at about 48.4 billion barrels.
Park asked the NOC to allocate some of its heavy crude to South Korea. The NOC replied that it could do so if technical conditions such as crude grades, delivery timing, and other requirements such as buyer reliability are met.
Park told Algerian and Libyan officials that South Korea relies entirely on crude oil imports but exports petroleum products across the Asia-Pacific region thanks to its advanced refining facilities, adding that securing steady supplies is directly linked to maintaining stability in regional supply chains.
Before returning home, Park also met with South Korean expatriates and businesspeople there to hear about their difficulties and discuss possible support measures.
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