LNG carrier safely transits strait; government emergency response system remains active
A second South Korean vessel has cleared the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded there by the Middle East war. The transit follows that of HMM's oil tanker Universal Winner.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Thursday that a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company, which had been waiting inside the strait, decided to proceed after consulting with its foreign charterer and is now sailing safely.
The vessel is a liquefied natural gas carrier with eight South Korean crew members on board. The ministry declined to disclose the name of the ship, the shipping company or the charterer, citing the need to protect the crew and the operator.
Transit arrangements were led by the foreign charterer, according to the ministry. The ministry said the vessel's destination is not South Korea.
With this transit, the number of South Korean vessels waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz fell from 25 to 24. The number of South Korean crew members in the area also dropped from 147 to 139. Of those still waiting, 105 are aboard South Korean-operated vessels and 34 are aboard foreign ships.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global crude oil and LNG shipments. As tensions in the Middle East have escalated in recent weeks, safety concerns for vessels transiting the strait have grown, prompting some ships to hold position inside or outside the waterway or adjust their sailing schedules.
The situation carries particular weight for South Korea's energy supply and shipping industry, as a significant number of crude oil and LNG carriers operated by domestic shipping companies rely on the Middle East route.
Since the Middle East crisis began, the government has activated a joint emergency response system across related ministries to monitor the safety of South Korean vessels and crew. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it is maintaining emergency communication channels with the shipping industry and tracking vessel locations to support safe navigation. It is also working with shipping companies and relevant agencies to review whether the remaining vessels can resume transit.
adastra@heraldcorp.com
