One of the 26 South Korean vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S.-Iran conflict has successfully navigated through the strait for the first time.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on May 20 that "one of our oil tankers has passed through the Strait of Hormuz today and is continuing its voyage," adding that approximately 10 South Korean crew members are aboard the vessel.
Since the outbreak of the conflict, the South Korean government has made repeated requests for the safety and freedom of navigation for all vessels, including its own, through four phone calls between the foreign ministers of South Korea and Iran, the dispatch of special envoys over the past two weeks, and various diplomatic channels involving both countries' foreign ministries and embassies in Tehran and Seoul.
A ministry official stated, "We will continue to work diligently to ensure the safety and passage of our vessels in the Strait of Hormuz."
In related remarks, Minister Park Jin mentioned during a National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting that "at this moment, our oil tanker is exiting the Strait of Hormuz following negotiations with Iranian authorities."
He added, "We have completed discussions with Iranian authorities, and the tanker began its voyage yesterday, navigating very cautiously with 2 million barrels of oil on board." The 2 million barrels refers to the amount of crude oil being transported by the South Korean tanker.
According to Bloomberg and the ship tracking site MarineTraffic, the vessel that has exited the strait is the 'Universal Winner,' an oil tanker operated by HMM, the same company that operates the recently attacked 'Namoo.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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