President Lee Pledges Substantial Contribution to Ensuring Freedom of Navigation in Hormuz Strait at Summit with Over 50 World Leaders

On April 17, President Lee Jae-myung attended a virtual summit led by France and the United Kingdom on the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Blue House, President Lee emphasized that South Korea is a key stakeholder, as the country imports approximately 70% of its crude oil through the Strait. He expressed a strong determination that South Korea would make a substantial contribution to ensuring freedom of navigation in the area. President Lee also proposed that the international community jointly seek management mechanisms to resolve the stalemate in the Middle East conflict as soon as possible and to ensure stability in the Strait.

Yonhap News Agency

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That evening, around 9 p.m. Paris time, President Lee participated in the summit via video conference, joining leaders from around 49 countries and representatives from 2 international organizations. They exchanged views on international efforts to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the safety and protection of seafarers and vessels, and practical measures to ensure safe navigation after the end of the war.

The summit was co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Leaders and representatives from South Korea, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, Iraq, Singapore, and other countries, as well as international organizations, participated. German Chancellor Merz and Italian Prime Minister Meloni, along with the UK and French leaders, attended in person. It was reported that China and Japan participated at a level below head-of-state.

President Lee was the first among the leaders participating virtually to speak. In the 90-minute summit, he spoke for 4 minutes and 40 seconds, expressing concern about the global disruption to energy, finance, industry, and food security caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a public asset and a pivotal part of the global supply chain. He particularly pointed out that the environment continues to make it difficult to adequately ensure the safety and health of seafarers, including Korean nationals, who are stranded in the Strait.

President Lee once again proposed that the international community come together to promptly break the deadlock and explore management mechanisms for the stability of the Strait. He reiterated that South Korea is a key stakeholder, as the country imports approximately 70% of its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and declared its strong will to make practical contributions to guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the region.

Leaders attending the summit shared their assessments of the situation regarding the Strait of Hormuz and agreed to enhance diplomatic and military cooperation to ensure freedom of navigation and safety in the Strait after the end of the war and to build mutual trust.

According to a written briefing by Blue House spokesperson Jeon Eun-soo, "This virtual summit has served as an opportunity to call for peace in the Middle East and to underscore international solidarity in securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after the end of the conflict." The spokesperson added, "The government will continue to take a leading role in international efforts to uphold the principle of free international passage and to stabilize global supply chains, thereby doing its utmost to ensure stability in the daily lives of our citizens."

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