Another S. Korea-operated vessel transits through Strait of Hormuz

Lead

Another vessel operated by a South Korean shipper has successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the second case of its kind, Seoul's oceans ministry said Thursday. The vessel, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, was operating under a charter agreement with a foreign party and carried eight Korean crew members, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The ministry said the decision to move the vessel was made through consultations between the Korean shipper and the foreign charterer. The vessel is headed to a destination other than South Korea, the ministry added, without disclosing further details about the ship, the company, or the charterer.

Coverage Comparison

All the reports on this story come from Yonhap News Agency. Three separate Yonhap articles, published on June 11, describe the passage of the LNG carrier and the reduction in the number of stranded South Korean vessels. A fourth report, dated June 10, provides details on the arrival of the first vessel to leave the area, the oil tanker Universal Winner, which had been stranded since late February. A fifth report, from May 31, and a sixth, from June 14, cover the successful transits of South Korean oil tankers through the Red Sea as part of efforts to divert shipments away from the Strait of Hormuz.

While the June 11 reports focus on the LNG carrier's successful passage and the positive development of fewer stranded vessels, the June 10 report details the arrival of the Universal Winner and the circumstances of its departure. The May 31 and June 14 reports both describe oil tankers using an alternative route via the Red Sea, with the former noting it as the sixth such shipment and the latter as the ninth, indicating ongoing reliance on alternative routes.

Key Claims

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries reported that the LNG carrier successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the second such passage for a South Korean vessel. This development reduced the number of South Korean vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz to 24 from 25, and the number of Korean sailors to 139 from 147.

The first vessel to leave the area was the Universal Winner, a very large crude carrier operated by HMM, which exited the strait last month and arrived off the southeastern port city of Ulsan on June 10, carrying 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil. According to a Yonhap report, the tanker had been en route to load Kuwaiti crude when it entered the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, the day the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran. It was allowed to depart under an agreement reached between South Korea and Iran on May 20, the report said. All 21 crew members — nine South Koreans and 12 foreign nationals — were reported to be in good health.

In a separate development, South Korean oil tankers have been using an alternative route through the Red Sea, loading crude oil at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the sixth such shipment passed through the Red Sea at around 10 a.m. Korea time on May 31, and the ninth shipment did so on June 14. The ministry said it monitored the situation around the clock and provided safety information while maintaining communication channels between the government, the shipper, and the vessel, adding that it would continue efforts to maintain the stability of crude oil supplies.

The foreign ministry said it has emphasized to Iranian authorities the importance of the swift and safe navigation of all vessels, including South Korean ones, within the Strait of Hormuz. "We are continuing to communicate with relevant countries regarding this matter," the ministry said, as reported by Yonhap.