4 more Korean ships pass through Strait of Hormuz with 26 Korean crew aboard

The movement of Korean vessels waiting in the Strait of Hormuz is accelerating following the signing of a cease-fire memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. After two Korean ships became the first to clear the strait following the cease-fire agreement, four more vessels operated by Korean shipping companies have passed through and resumed normal navigation.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Wednesday that four vessels operated by Korean shipping companies that had been waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz had passed through and were sailing normally.

The four ships carry 26 Korean crew members. One is an oil tanker bound for Korea, while the remaining three — including a container ship and a petroleum product carrier — are cargo vessels headed to overseas destinations.

Notably, the transits mark the first time ships have passed through the strait under the formal approval process of the Hormuz Strait Authority, a body Iran recently established.

"This is significant in that the approval system with the Hormuz Strait Authority has actually begun operating," a ministry official said. Korean shipping companies are currently filing individual transit applications through the authority. The government and the companies have submitted application documents and are awaiting approval while exchanging supplementary requests and feedback.

The two Korean ships that earlier became the first to transit the Strait of Hormuz after the cease-fire agreement were identified as HMM's 16,000-TEU container ship Daon and the very large crude carrier Universal Glory.

HMM said Wednesday that both vessels had safely cleared the strait and were under way. The Daon is heading to its port of call in Sohar, Oman, while the Universal Glory, carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, is expected to arrive at Yeosu port in mid-July.

The ministry is now focused on expediting the transit approval process for the remaining vessels.

"The Hormuz Strait Authority is reviewing the documents we submitted and exchanging supplementary feedback," a ministry official said. "We believe there will be no major obstacles to receiving approval within 60 days, and we are working to get results as quickly as possible."

Eighteen vessels operated by Korean shipping companies remain in the Strait of Hormuz. By vessel type, they include five crude oil carriers, five petroleum product carriers, two chemical tankers, and six other cargo ships — among them container ships, car carriers and general cargo vessels. A total of 108 Korean nationals are aboard, comprising 75 on Korean-flagged ships and 33 on foreign-flagged vessels.

The ministry said all ships except one undergoing repairs have begun preparing for transit in accordance with consultations with relevant countries and their own navigation plans.

The shipping industry views the Strait of Hormuz as entering a normalization phase, as transit cases continue to emerge and the Hormuz Strait Authority's approval system comes online. However, the possibility remains that transit conditions could again be affected by follow-on negotiations between the United States and Iran and shifts in the broader Middle East situation.

"Some vessels are moving with their Automatic Identification System turned off for safety reasons," a ministry official said, urging operators to pay particular attention to security, including navigation routes.