SEOUL: The government vowed Wednesday (April 8) efforts to help South Korean vessels stuck in the Strait of Hormuz to safely pass through the shipping route after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire with the full reopening of the crucial passage for oil.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources will cooperate with the foreign and oceans ministries to ensure the safe and swift passage of Korean oil tankers tied up at the Hormuz strait, officials said.
There are currently seven oil tankers, including four flag carriers, in the region carrying shipments for Korean oil refineries, according to the government officials.
The ships are carrying a combined 14 million barrels of crude, which are equivalent to South Korea's five-day oil consumption.
The pledge came after US President Donald Trump said earlier in the day that the US has agreed to suspend strikes on Iran for two weeks, "subject to" the Middle Eastern nation agreeing to the "complete" and "immediate" reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route.
The Seoul officials said the government is working to check the status of and conditions for transit through the shipping route, which has been effectively closed due to the US-led strikes against Iran. - Yonhap via The Korea Herald/ANN
