US EditionLee Hails S. Korean Oil Tanker Exiting Red Sea
South Korea said the tanker’s safe passage secures crude supplies, with officials reporting more than 270 million barrels available through 2026.
- On Friday, President Lee Jae Myung announced that a South Korean oil tanker exited the Red Sea, marking the nation's first crude oil shipment via this detour since the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
- The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint, remains effectively closed following US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February. Import-dependent South Korea has since explored alternative routes to mitigate energy supply risks.
- Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik confirmed on April 15 that South Korea secured more than 270 million barrels of crude oil through the end of 2026, equivalent to more than three months of national oil needs.
- Lee described the safe passage as a "valuable achievement" made possible through inter-ministerial coordination. He pledged the government is mobilizing resources to safeguard people's livelihoods and national interests amid the crisis.
- Seoul has committed to sending five South Korean-flagged ships to the Saudi Arabian port of Yanbu to maintain energy security. Officials recently visited Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to secure alternative fuel sources.
12 Articles
12 Articles
President Lee: Korean Ships Transport Crude Oil Through the Red Sea... A Valuable Achievement Achieved as One Team First Crude Oil Transport via the Red Sea Since the Strait of Hormuz Blockade Lee: Joyful News... Especially Thanks to the Crew Members On the 17th, President Lee Jae-myung delivered the joyful news that our ships are stably transporting crude oil through the Red Sea for the first time since the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
"It is good news that, for the first time after the blockade of the Strait of Ormuz, our ships are transporting crude oil stablely across the Red Sea," he said in a social media message.
South Korean tanker passes through the Red Sea for the first time, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz
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