With the Strait of Hormuz closed by the Middle East war, the first Korean oil tanker to use a detour route via the Red Sea has arrived in Korea, accelerating a shift in crude transport routes.
On the 7th, industry officials said a Korean oil tanker that departed from Yanbu Port in Saudi Arabia carrying about 2 million barrels of crude and passed through the Red Sea docked that day at the GS Caltex pier in Yeosu, South Jeolla.
This is the first case of a Korean vessel bringing in crude via the Red Sea since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Additional tankers are also using the same route this month, continuing the detour shipments.
Earlier, the Malta-flagged oil tanker "Odessa" also sailed past the Hormuz closure through the Red Sea and is reportedly scheduled to enter Daesan Port in South Chungcheong on the 8th to unload crude.
The industry sees a strong possibility that detour shipments via the Red Sea will increase if instability in the Middle East persists.