Twenty-four of 26 South Korean-operated vessels previously trapped in the Strait of Hormuz have successfully exited the waterway, President Lee Jae-myung confirmed on June 30. The mass departure resolves a crisis that left 137 Korean sailors stranded in a critical energy corridor.
The ships were caught amid escalating hostilities that effectively closed the strait. A mid-June ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran provided the necessary window for evacuation. Shipping giant HMM operated several of the affected vessels.
The Strait of Hormuz is a 21-mile-wide channel vital to global energy. South Korea depends on this passage for roughly 70% of its crude oil imports, making the blockage a direct threat to economic stability. Two ships remain due to repairs and cargo complications, but the immediate danger has passed.