Korea will partially allow crude oil shipments through the Red Sea as an alternative to the effectively blockaded Strait of Hormuz, the government said Monday, as the diplomatic and energy pressures from the Middle East conflict show no sign of easing.

During a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan announced that the government would permit oil tankers meeting specific safety requirements to use the Red Sea route to secure additional supplies.

The Red Sea route has emerged as a vital workaround following Tehran’s practical blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Under this plan, crude oil will be transported through pipelines from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil fields to the western port of Yanbu, where it will then be loaded onto tankers. While Yanbu’s daily export capacity is capped at approximately 5 million barrels, Seoul officials view the route as a crucial lifeline for energy-dependent Korea.

The Red Sea route is not without its own hazards.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have signaled the possibility of strikes on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow chokepoint through which Red Sea-bound tankers must pass.

To manage these risks, the government said it plans to track vessel locations in real time through the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ situation room and the Cheonghae Unit, a Korean naval unit usually dispatched off the Somali coast for anti-piracy operations.

“In a situation where alternative import routes are limited, we cannot completely block shipments due to risk,” President Lee said during the meeting. “We must accept a certain level of risk to ensure the nation’s energy supply.”

On the diplomatic front, Korea is doubling down on its multilateral framework to avoid setting a dangerous precedent — such as yielding to Iran’s demands for transit tolls or political concessions — following reports that Japanese- and French-linked vessels successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior official from Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters Monday that the government is “communicating multifacetedly with relevant countries, including Iran, regarding ship safety,” while declining to specify when the 26 Korean-flagged vessels currently anchored near the strait might attempt a crossing.

Officials warn that any unilateral move by Seoul to engage in bilateral talks with Tehran could embolden Iran to demand steep passage fees or attach political conditions to safe passage, undermining the coordinated international response.

Foreign ministers and representatives from over 40 nations, including Korea, issued a chair’s statement vowing to secure free navigation through the strait, following a video conference convened by the United Kingdom on April 2.

“The meeting agreed on a ‘coordinated action’,” the Foreign Ministry official said. “The coordinated action refers to rejecting the imposition of transit tolls on vessels and exploring economic sanctions.”

“We maintain the position that free and safe navigation for all ships, including ours, must be guaranteed in accordance with international norms,” the official added.

The government’s approach comes after two vessels linked to Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and one French container ship, the CMA CGM Kribi, exited the Gulf between April 2 and 3.
The Japanese-linked vessels were Panama-flagged. One was an empty LNG carrier co-owned with Oman, and the other was an LPG carrier operated by an Indian subsidiary with a predominantly Indian crew, according to a source familiar with the matter. The CMA CGM Kribi, a Malta-flagged vessel, reportedly followed an AIS-tracked safe route monitored by Iran.

“These transits were likely the result of individual commercial maneuvers or third-country interests,” a source noted, citing a report from the Asahi Shimbun in which Japanese officials denied any involvement in the negotiations.

Another Foreign Ministry official said there has been “no specific movement” of Korean ships seeking to exit the strait, suggesting that shipping companies are carefully weighing multiple variables before committing to a transit attempt.

“If a shipowner has ten vessels, they might be able to withstand the costs if only one is stuck while the others operate at higher freight rates,” they explained.

While Seoul assesses that there is no immediate emergency compelling the 26 vessels to force a crossing, the pressure is expected to reach a breaking point this week following U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has warned that the “gates of hell will open,” threatening to strike U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in the region should attacks against Iran escalate.

“This week is likely to be a major watershed moment in the progression of this war,” the first Foreign Ministry official said.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) is also accelerating diplomatic outreach to diversify Korea’s crude supply sources.

DP Rep. Ahn Do-geol said Monday that the government is pushing to dispatch special envoys to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Algeria to explore alternative supply arrangements.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily