As desperate efforts continue to transport crude oil out of the Strait of Hormuz despite relentless attacks by Iran, the Financial Times (FT) reported that hazardous duty pay and other compensation for tanker crew members are soaring.

According to industry insiders, tanker owners are offering massive amounts of "hazard pay" to keep crews working in the dangerous waters.

Amid escalating Iranian attacks, tanker captains receive a monthly salary of $100,000 (approx. 130 million won) in exchange for navigating the Strait of Hormuz.

Separately, a bonus of $50,000 (approx. 70 million won) is paid for each transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

A typical tanker captain's monthly salary is generally known to be around $15,000 (approx. 20 million won).

Even excluding bonuses, the monthly salary alone is more than six times the usual level.

Monthly wages for ordinary crew members deployed to navigate the Strait of Hormuz have also risen sharply.

Ordinary crew salaries start at $1,500 (approx. 2 million won).

However, boarding a tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz increases their monthly salary by at least four to six times.

Tankers carrying about 2 million barrels of oil accommodate up to 35 crew members.

Currently, tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz are exposed to Iranian attacks, repeatedly shuttling back and forth across the shortest and most dangerous segments of the strait to move crude oil from inside the Persian Gulf to the outside, known as "shuttle tankers."

Consequently, crew members working on these vessels can earn higher-than-usual wages over several months.

Crude oil that breaks through Iran's blockade and exits the Persian Gulf trades at high prices.

As a result, high operating costs for "shuttle tankers," such as massive increases in crew salaries and allowances, are not posing a major issue.

Furthermore, for Gulf oil-producing nations such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, alternative means such as pipelines have limitations, leaving them with no choice but to continue exporting crude oil—which is essentially their economic lifeline—through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the shipping system from before the outbreak of war collapsed, oil-producing countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are urgently and extensively assembling and operating company-operated "shuttle tanker" fleets.

This method involves directly delivering shipments to customers using "shuttle tankers" that act like "commando units" across the dangerous Strait of Hormuz section.

Conversely, Iran, which views securing control over the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in negotiations with the United States, is fiercely attacking these "shuttle tankers" as targets.

Consequently, industry insiders sometimes compare these crew members to "mercenaries" who have jumped into the middle of a war to make money.

One industry official told the FT that among crew members, those who venture into voyages across the Strait of Hormuz are viewed like mercenaries.

Recently, news reports have emerged consecutively indicating that the crude oil export volumes of Persian Gulf oil producers have recovered to levels close to those before the war.

In response, Iran's attacks on shuttle tankers appear to be intensifying out of concern that its leverage against the United States will weaken.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a total of 93 vessels have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz area since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war on February 28.

As a result, 24 crew members have lost their lives.

Data from shipping analytics firm Windward shows that about 2% of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the third quarter were attacked.

Many tanker crew members have boarded ships sailing the Strait of Hormuz despite these risks due to the high financial compensation.

Many of them hail from relatively impoverished regions such as the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Ukraine.

It is difficult to earn such large sums of money in their home countries as what can be made on tankers operating in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, reports indicate that some are coerced into participating in dangerous voyages through the Strait of Hormuz against their will.

Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the National Union of Seafarers of India, told the FT, "In some cases, shipowners tell crew members that if they refuse [to sail through the Strait of Hormuz], repatriation costs will be deducted from their wages, forcing unwilling crew members to make the voyage," adding, "Seafarers can lose their jobs if they disagree, or lose their lives even if they agree."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)