Two South Korean Vessels Exit Strait of Hormuz, First Since Cease-Fire Agreement

Two South Korean vessels have exited the Strait of Hormuz following a cease-fire agreement between the United States and Iran to open the waterway.

This marks the first instance of South Korean vessels exiting the Strait of Hormuz since the cease-fire agreement was reached.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced today (June 22) that "two vessels operated by a South Korean shipping company, which had been waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz, have passed through the strait and are currently sailing normally."

It is understood that while these vessels are operated by a South Korean company, there were no South Korean crew members on board, and their destination was not South Korea.

The Ministry added, "The vessels have not yet completely passed through the danger zone," and requested understanding that "specific information regarding the transit, such as the shipping company and vessel names, cannot be disclosed out of consideration for the safety of the crew and the position of the shipping company."

The exit of these vessels from the Strait of Hormuz follows the cease-fire agreement between the U.S. and Iran.

Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the cease-fire between the two countries stipulates that upon signing the MOU, Iran will take measures to allow the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz without transit fees for 60 days.

Following this, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) of Iran began accepting applications for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and shipping companies operating South Korean vessels stranded in the strait also submitted applications.

With these two South Korean vessels exiting the Strait of Hormuz, the number of South Korean vessels remaining in the strait has decreased to 22.

When the strait was blockaded at the end of February, there were 26 South Korean vessels inside. However, one oil tanker and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier each exited after consultations with the Iranian side, leaving 24 vessels at the time of the cease-fire agreement.

Currently, there are a total of 135 South Korean crew members within the Strait of Hormuz.

This figure includes 102 crew members aboard South Korean vessels and 33 aboard foreign vessels.

Following the U.S.-Iran cease-fire agreement, it is expected that South Korean vessels will continue to exit the strait sequentially, starting with the two that have now passed through.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries emphasized, "We are providing support for safe navigation, including the provision of information related to strait transit and real-time monitoring, to ensure the safe passage of our vessels."

Uncertainties remain as the situation in the Middle East is still unstable.

On the 20th, the Iranian military announced that it would blockade the Strait of Hormuz again, citing Israel's airstrikes in southern Lebanon.

Follow-up negotiations for the cease-fire agreement are also facing friction in various areas.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.