Minister Hwang Jong-woo of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 14th, "For the time being, we will bring crude oil through the Red Sea," adding, "Even if the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted (after the war ends), we will have to move close along the coast of Oman rather than the existing route."
The Minister said at a press briefing held at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries press room in Busan that day, "There are many mines in the Strait of Hormuz, so it is hard to know how quickly the existing international passage in Hormuz will recover," and stated accordingly.
The Minister went on to emphasize that if the Arctic route is opened, energy supply lines, which are highly dependent on the Middle East, will diversify. He said, "If the Arctic route is opened, there are many energy and mineral (supply lines) along the Northwest Passage," adding, "The Northeast Passage will open new possibilities for container ships and the like."
He added, "We must work to secure sufficient data in preparation for when the Arctic route opens," noting, "We are currently selecting a preliminary carrier and preparing to sign agreements to conduct a pilot operation on the Arctic route in Aug.–Sep."
The Minister also said regarding the transfer of agencies under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) to Busan, "Once the June local elections end and new local leaders take office, we will move quickly with consultations." He said, "Former Minister Chun Jae-soo's position was to relocate the agencies first and then discuss support measures for employees, but that could cause problems," adding, "We will first consult with local governments on support measures and then draw up a relocation plan. We also need to hold consultations with the Ministry of Planning and Budget on financial support."
On the transfer of shipping corporations including HMM to Busan, he said, "We have received an official letter from HMM and others containing requests for support," adding, "We have formed an in-house support task force to review the requests." He then noted, "The items requested by the corporations included tax support, policy support funds, and matters related to the use of Busan Port."