South Korean Oil Tanker Carrying 2 Million Barrels of Crude Passing Through Strait of Hormuz... Cho Hyun: "Consultations with Iran Concluded"

Set to Pass Through the Gulf of Oman and Head to South Korea

A South Korean oil tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the first passage among the 26 South Korean vessels that had been stranded due to the strait’s blockade.

Oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Yonhap News.

On May 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun stated at the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, "We have completed discussions with the Iranian authorities, and the tanker began its voyage yesterday, proceeding very cautiously through the strait." She also reported that the tanker is carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil.

According to Bloomberg and other sources, the tanker in question is the Universal Winner, a South Korean-flagged vessel carrying Kuwaiti crude oil and operated by HMM, the same shipping company as the Namuho, which was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

The oil tanker began its journey in the early hours of the previous day in waters near Qatar and is expected to pass through the Gulf of Oman on May 20, following the passage route designated by Iran. It is then scheduled to proceed to Ulsan Port in South Korea. Once the tanker enters the Gulf of Oman, it will become the first South Korean vessel to exit the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran war approximately 80 days ago.

Previously, on May 18, Iranian authorities notified the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Iran that one South Korean vessel would be permitted to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Afterward, the South Korean government held internal consultations with the shipping company and decided to proceed with the passage. Regarding this, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "The movement is being coordinated with relevant countries, including Iran, to ensure the safety of the vessel," and added, "No fees have been paid."

It appears that the authorities are prioritizing vessels based on the proportion of South Korean crew on board and whether the cargo is required domestically. Concerning the Universal Winner, an official stated, "Negotiations focused on the fact that there are many South Korean crew members on board."

Currently, 25 South Korean vessels remain in the Strait of Hormuz, including the Namuho, which was damaged in a drone attack on May 4 and is undergoing repairs. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official commented, "We are continuing discussions so that all South Korean ships can enjoy free passage."

The government maintains that this passage is not directly related to the Namuho attack. Negotiations for the Universal Winner’s passage had been ongoing even before the attack occurred.

Meanwhile, some observers suggest that the Namuho attack could serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations to allow the remaining South Korean vessels to pass. However, Minister Cho stated at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, "From the outset, our basic stance has been that all vessels must have free passage, and such incidents cannot be used as a negotiation tool."

Minister Cho also revealed that South Korea is cooperating with the United States regarding the Namuho attack and is responding appropriately to Iran. When Representative Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party remarked, "The United States probably knows who launched the attack," Minister Cho replied, "I understand that we have requested information-sharing and cooperation from the U.S. side, including on this matter." She further added, "Although the perpetrator has not been definitively identified, during my call with (Seyyed Abbas) Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, I made it clear to him, 'You should also investigate thoroughly, and if necessary, cooperate with the investigation.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.