Voyages via Red Sea continue despite regional tensions; ministry maintains 24-hour monitoring

An oil tanker anchored near Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. [Getty Images]
An oil tanker anchored near Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. [Getty Images]

South Korean oil tankers have continued to transport crude oil via the Red Sea without disruption, even as access to the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted amid instability in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Sunday that as of 10 a.m., one South Korean oil tanker had safely transited the Red Sea and was en route to South Korea with a cargo of crude oil. It is the ninth South Korean vessel to transport crude through the Red Sea since the Strait of Hormuz was closed.

The ministry has been disclosing the operational status of South Korean vessels since April 17, when ships began loading crude at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port before sailing home via the Red Sea.

While the vessel was transiting the Red Sea, the ministry operated a 24-hour real-time monitoring system and provided navigational safety information. It also maintained a real-time communications channel among the ministry, the shipping company and the vessel to support the safety of the ship and its crew.

Concerns have been raised about potential disruptions to South Korea's crude oil supply as tensions in the Middle East persist, but shipments by South Korean vessels have so far proceeded normally.

However, the ministry said it withheld specific details — including the names of the shipping company, the vessel and the charterer — out of consideration for the safety of the ship and its crew.


adastra@heraldcorp.com