One More South Korean Ship Exits Strait of Hormuz; Two Remain

Another South Korean vessel has successfully navigated out of the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the total number of South Korean ships that have exited the critical waterway to 24. This leaves two South Korean ships still within the strait, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Nam Jae-heon, the Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, announced that the latest ship to pass through was a car carrier with six South Korean crew members aboard, bound for Korea. It has now safely exited the strait. This follows the departure of an LNG carrier on July 10. Initially, 26 South Korean vessels, carrying 146 crew members, were held in the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran on February 28.

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Yesterday, one more vessel passed through the Strait of Hormuz and has now completely exited into a safe area. Thus, 24 out of the 26 South Korean ships that were trapped in the Strait of Hormuz have now exited.

One of the two remaining ships is the HMM Namuho, formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine, which is suspected to have been hit by an attack and is currently undergoing repairs. Vice Minister Nam indicated that the Namuho is anticipated to leave the Strait of Hormuz in mid-July, once repairs are completed. The first vessel to exit the strait was a very large crude carrier (VLCC) named 'Universal Winner,' which arrived in Ulsan on July 10 after leaving Hormuz on May 20.

Following an agreement between the United States and Iran, 21 ships exited the Strait of Hormuz eight days after the ceasefire agreement took effect. Another vessel departed on July 30. The two ships currently remaining in the strait have a total of seven South Korean crew members. The ministry is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of all South Korean maritime assets and personnel in the region.

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The Namuho is expected to leave the Strait of Hormuz after mid-this month, once repairs are completed.