<!-- wp:image {"id":323971,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://globalnation.inquirer.net/files/2026/05/news-p.v1.20260520.1f09135a395c487daa2ad2a50f2430bb_P1-1200x800.jpg" alt="Seoul says Korean tanker exits Hormuz under coordination with Iran" class="wp-image-323971" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17. (AFP-Yonhap)</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><br>A South Korean tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz under coordination with Iran, Seoul said Wednesday, marking the first known transit by a South Korean vessel since the outbreak of the US-Iran war in late February.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Foreign Minister Cho Hyun first disclosed the development during a parliamentary session, saying, “At this very moment, a South Korean tanker is exiting the Strait of Hormuz under coordination with the Iranian side.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cho added consultations with the Iranian authorities had been completed and that the vessel had “begun sailing yesterday and is passing through very cautiously.” He also mentioned “2 million barrels,” apparently referring to the volume of crude oil aboard the tanker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>READ: <a href="https://globalnation.inquirer.net/321895/s-korean-ship-damaged-by-fire-in-strait-of-hormuz-arrives-at-dubai-port">S. Korean ship damaged by fire in Strait of Hormuz arrives at Dubai port</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Korea’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that “one South Korean tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is continuing its voyage,” suggesting the vessel had exited the high-risk waters around the strait and entered a safer maritime zone. Around 10 South Korean crew members were aboard the tanker that completed the transit, the ministry said in a message to reporters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An official at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, requesting anonymity, told reporters the vessel’s movement was taking place “in coordination with relevant countries, including Iran, to ensure the vessel’s safety.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>According to the ministry official, the Iranian government informed the South Korean Embassy in Tehran on Monday night that one South Korean vessel would be allowed to transit the strategic waterway.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The government plans to additionally request that all South Korean vessels be allowed to transit freely through the Strait of Hormuz,” the official said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ministry said one of 26 South Korean vessels currently in or near the Strait of Hormuz began sailing Tuesday morning from waters near Qatar. Officials said the vessel used the same route previously taken by ships that managed to leave the strait after the outbreak of the conflict.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The development comes some 88 days after the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, during which commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruption amid heightened regional tensions and security concerns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Foreign Ministry said the South Korean government had continued requesting the safety and free passage of all vessels, including South Korean ships, through multiple diplomatic channels since the outbreak of the war. Those efforts included four phone calls between the South Korean and Iranian foreign ministers, the dispatch of a special envoy for about two weeks, consultations between the two foreign ministries, and contacts involving the South Korean Embassy in Tehran and the Iranian Embassy in Seoul.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The government will continue efforts to ensure the safety and free navigation of South Korean vessels in the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Earlier in the day, ship-tracking data cited by Bloomberg showed that the South Korean-flagged supertanker Universal Winner had begun signaling Wednesday morning near the Strait of Hormuz, south of Iran’s Larak Island, along a Tehran-approved transit route.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>READ: <a href="https://globalnation.inquirer.net/319373/what-are-japan-south-korea-learning-from-hormuz-disruption">What are Japan, South Korea learning from Hormuz disruption?</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>According to Bloomberg and ship-tracking site MarineTraffic, the vessel that exited the strait was the Universal Winner, a very large crude carrier operated by South Korean shipping giant HMM.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The vessel, carrying Kuwaiti crude oil and reportedly bound for Ulsan, is operated by the same company that manages the recently attacked HMM Namu bulk carrier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Foreign Ministry declined to officially confirm the vessel’s identity, but said the transit was unrelated to the recent attack on the South Korean-operated bulk carrier HMM Namu, which was struck earlier this month in the strait.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ministry also said that although the vessel used a route designated by Iran, neither the South Korean government nor the shipping company paid any transit fee or security-related charge publicly demanded by Tehran in exchange for safe passage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“A coordinated movement was carried out with relevant countries, including Iran, to ensure the vessel’s safety,” the ministry official said. “There were no costs involved.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Officials added that the vessel had not been operating near Iranian ports, making it unlikely to face possible US sanctions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The South Korean government maintains that Iran’s decision to allow the vessel’s transit was unrelated to the HMM Namu attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Still, some observers have raised the possibility that Iran — widely suspected of being behind the attack despite denying involvement — may have agreed to the vessel’s passage in response to diplomatic pressure from Seoul and criticism from the international community.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>According to the Foreign Ministry, Iran informed the South Korean Embassy in Tehran that transit through the strait would be possible one day after Cho held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which he requested Tehran’s position on the facts surrounding the HMM Namu attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The government is continuing consultations with Tehran to secure passage for the remaining 25 vessels still in or near the strait.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seoul officials are considering factors such as the number of South Korean crew members aboard and whether the cargo is essential to South Korea when prioritizing vessels for negotiations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iran is reportedly requiring vessels to use routes designated by Tehran, but some shipping companies are said to be concerned about safety risks and the possibility of US sanctions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The US Treasury Department previously warned that “toll” payments to Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz could expose shipping companies and other entities to US sanctions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, the South Korean Foreign Ministry reportedly believes the US advisory does not apply to government-level diplomatic negotiations and that the vessel that exited the strait is unlikely to become subject to sanctions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We are closely consulting with the United States on important matters,” the ministry official said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bloomberg also reported that two Chinese tankers attempted to transit the strait along similar routes the same day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One vessel, the Ocean Lily, carrying crude oil from Qatar and Iraq and bound for China’s Quanzhou port, stopped transmitting its location signal Thursday morning. Another tanker, the Yuan Gui Yang, carrying Iraqi crude oil and headed for Guangdong province, reportedly remained in the same waters for several hours. /dl</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->