SEOUL: A South Korean oil tanker safely transited the Strait of Hormuz, the country's foreign ministry said Wednesday (May 20), marking the first passage by a South Korean vessel through the waterway since the Iran war began.
One South Korean oil tanker "transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, May 20, and is continuing its voyage," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Approximately 10 South Korean crew members are on board the vessel."
The announcement followed earlier comments by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, who told the National Assembly that the tanker was "passing through" the strategic waterway at the time of his remarks.
"It is the first South Korea-flagged ship to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began," a foreign ministry official told AFP earlier.
The ministry said Seoul had repeatedly urged Iran to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all vessels, including South Korean ships, through multiple diplomatic channels -- including four phone calls between the South Korean and Iranian foreign ministers since the outbreak of the war.
Ship-tracking site MarineTraffic earlier showed the South Korea-flagged tanker Universal Winner on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz near the entrance to the Gulf of Oman, bound for the southeastern South Korean city of Ulsan after departing Kuwait's Mina Al Ahmadi port.
The passage comes weeks after a South Korean-operated vessel was hit by airborne objects near the Strait of Hormuz, heightening concerns in Seoul over the safety of South Korean shipping in the region.
HMM Namu was struck by "two unidentified aircraft" on May 4, hitting the outer plate of the vessel's port-side ballast tank near the stern and causing a fire in the engine room.
The Panama-flagged cargo vessel, operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co., arrived in Dubai after the incident for investigation.
Tehran has denied responsibility, with its embassy in Seoul posting a statement on its website in the days following the attack, saying it "firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement" of its forces.
Seoul strongly condemned the attack and said it hoped to identify those behind it through a thorough investigation.
South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, relies heavily on Middle Eastern fuel imports, most shipped via the Strait of Hormuz during peacetime. - AFP
