South Korea Confirms Successful Passage of Eight Additional Ships Through Hormuz Strait

Eight South Korean vessels have successfully navigated through the Strait of Hormuz, having been previously stranded there due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. The South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries confirmed on Friday that these eight vessels, operated by South Korean shipping companies, have departed the Strait of Hormuz and are now sailing normally. They are carrying 37 South Korean sailors, with one of the ships currently en route to South Korea. This latest transit brings the total number of South Korean ships that have exited the strait to 21, out of an initial 26 vessels that were held up at the end of February when the strait was closed. The number of remaining South Korean ships in the strait has now decreased to five, which includes the "HMM Namu" currently undergoing repairs in Dubai, UAE, after being attacked in early May. A total of 47 Korean sailors were previously stranded in the strait, with 30 of them aboard foreign-flagged vessels. Despite these successful passages, risks persist in the vital waterway. International reports indicated that a cargo ship was attacked by an unidentified projectile while transiting the strait near the coast of Oman on June 25. Following this incident, the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) temporarily suspended its plan to evacuate ships and sailors from the Strait of Hormuz.