LNG carrier with 8 Korean crew resumes normal voyage; Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries providing safety support amid regional tensions

Ships wait to resume navigation in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 8 (local time). [AP]
Ships wait to resume navigation in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 8 (local time). [AP]

A vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company has cleared the Strait of Hormuz and resumed normal navigation — the second Korean ship to do so since tensions in the Middle East escalated — bringing the number of Korean vessels still waiting inside the strait down to 24.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Thursday that the vessel, which had been holding inside the strait, decided to proceed after consultations with its foreign charterer and has since passed through and resumed normal sailing.

The ship is a liquefied natural gas carrier with eight Korean crew members on board. However, the ministry declined to disclose the name of the vessel, the shipping company or the charterer, citing the need to protect the crew and the operator.

Negotiations over the transit were led by the foreign charterer, according to the ministry.

With the vessel's departure, the number of Korean ships waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz fell from 25 to 24, and the number of Korean crew members holding in the area dropped from 147 to 139. Of those still waiting, 105 are aboard Korean-flagged vessels and 34 are on foreign ships.

The ministry said it is continuing to support the vessel's safe passage through real-time monitoring and other measures.

The government has been monitoring the safety of Korean vessels and crew operating near the Strait of Hormuz as tensions in the Middle East have risen, and has activated a joint emergency response system with relevant agencies. The ministry said it is closely watching developments so that the remaining ships can decide whether to proceed as soon as safe conditions are confirmed.


adastra@heraldcorp.com