South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced that nearly all South Korean ships have left the Strait of Hormuz, leaving only two vessels, after a navigation disruption weeks after the start of the American-Israeli war against Iran.
According to an analysis by Al Jazeera's open-source unit on maritime traffic data, 28 ships operated by South Korean companies left the Strait of Hormuz between May 20 and June 29.
Based on data from the MarineTraffic platform, the analysis showed that the ships did not leave en masse but in waves and gradually. The departures began more than 100 days after the war erupted on February 28, following a period when ships were suspended in Gulf waters or held due to the strait's closure.
Details of the Departures
According to the analysis, the departed ships included 18 oil tankers, 2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, 7 cargo ships, and 1 passenger ship.
Notably, there was a concentration of departures from June 23-25, with 17 ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in those three days. During June, 26 South Korean-flagged ships used the strait. The most crossings were made by ships belonging to Sinokor Maritime Co Ltd and HMM Co Ltd, with 9 ships each.
The Two Remaining Ships
The data shows that two oil tankers, "Rotterdam Energy" and "Belgiam B," are still in the Gulf waters. Both ships arrived from Vadinar Port in India and passed through the Strait of Hormuz on June 28. Their navigation information indicates they are positioned away from the strait's exit zone.
According to Al Jazeera's daily monitoring, as of June 30, no South Korean ship transited the strait. On the same day, a total of 14 ships passed through the strait, with 4 using an alternative route via Oman.
Iran's Message: "Routes Must Change"
Meanwhile, on the 13th day of the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran, and 123 days after the war began, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said his country informed the Sultanate of Oman that routes in the Strait of Hormuz need to be changed. The deputy minister also stressed that the situation in the strait will not return to pre-war conditions.
This statement came during a period when Iran warned commercial ships not to use routes it does not approve of, and discussions with Oman regarding strait management continued.
Energy Crisis for South Korea
South Korea conducts most of its energy imports through the Strait of Hormuz. Congestion or security risks in the strait directly lead to economic crisis. Therefore, the Seoul administration had to take emergency measures to support energy supply and limit the impact of fluctuations in fuel prices.
