As Iran said it will again blockade the Strait of Hormuz, the outlook for the departure of two South Korea-flagged ships remaining inside the strait has become uncertain.
According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on the 12th, there are currently two South Korea-flagged ships inside the Strait of Hormuz, including HMM Namu, which was towed to Dubai Port for repairs after being attacked in early May.
Repairs on the Namu are in the final stage, but as Iran said it will again blockade the Strait of Hormuz, it has become difficult to set a departure date. The Namu was initially expected to depart in midmonth or later.
Another South Korean ship is remaining inside the strait due to its loading schedule and other timetables.
There are seven South Korean crew members working on the two ships. Including those serving on foreign-flagged ships, there are a total of 17 South Korean crew members remaining inside the strait. In the case of foreign ships with South Koreans on board, all are operating inside the strait and have no plans to leave it.
After the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war on the 14th of last month, a large number of ships from around the world that had been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz left. During the Iran war, there were 26 South Korea-flagged ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, but after the end-of-war MOU was signed, 24 left sequentially.
However, the crisis is rising again as the United States launched military operations following recent attacks by Iran on merchant ships in the strait and Iran declared a re-blockade of the strait.
The government judged that risks in the Strait of Hormuz had not disappeared even after the U.S.-Iran end-of-war agreement and advised domestic shipping companies not to send ships inside the strait.
The government is communicating with the two South Korean ships remaining inside the strait and monitoring the situation. An official at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) said, "As South Korean ships still remain inside the Strait of Hormuz, we are maintaining a system to manage the situation," and added, "We are also sharing information on the current situation in real time."