South Korean Oil Tanker Passes Through Strait of Hormuz, First Since Iran Conflict Outbreak

US-Iran War Key News Central Message (CNA Seoul, 20th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated today that following negotiations with the Iranian side, a South Korean oil tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This is also the first South Korean vessel to travel this strategic waterway since the outbreak of the Iran War. AFP reported that Cho told lawmakers during a meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee: "Right at this moment, our oil tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz." A South Korean Foreign Ministry official told AFP: "This is the first South Korean-flagged vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran War." Yonhap News Agency reported that Cho stated the government had completed negotiations with Iranian authorities, so the South Korean tanker set sail yesterday and is currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz with great caution. He noted that the tanker is carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil. According to data from the vessel tracking website MarineTraffic, the South Korean-flagged tanker Universal Winner is currently located on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, near the entrance to the Gulf of Oman. The vessel departed from Mina Al Ahmadi, Kuwait, and its destination is Ulsan in southeastern South Korea. A few weeks ago, the South Korean cargo ship NAMU was attacked by a projectile near the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that deepened Seoul's concerns about regional shipping security. Tehran has denied any connection to the incident. Its embassy in Seoul issued a statement on its official website days after the attack, emphasizing a "firm and explicit denial of any allegations regarding the involvement of Iranian forces." Seoul strongly condemned the attack, stating it hopes for a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators. South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, is heavily dependent on energy imports from the Middle East, with most of these fuels being transported through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime.