Japanese Vessels Among Those Exiting Strait of Hormuz... Foreign Ministry: "Different Circumstances by Ship and Country"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on April 5 that the recent departures of foreign vessels from the Strait of Hormuz were due to "different circumstances based on the specific conditions of each ship and country."

The Ministry explained, "The vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz vary in terms of nationality, ownership, operators, cargo types, destinations, and crew nationalities," adding, "The government prioritizes the safety of both ships and crew members, and places importance on the positions of shipping companies with these factors in mind."

Oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap News.

The Ministry further added, "In line with relevant international regulations, we are communicating and cooperating with the countries concerned, based on the position that the free and safe navigation of all vessels—including those from Korea—through the Strait of Hormuz must be ensured as soon as possible."

Shipping companies in Korea with vessels currently detained in the Strait of Hormuz are not considering individual efforts to withdraw their ships for now, and the government appears to be seeking measures to ensure ship safety and freedom of navigation through multilateral frameworks with major countries, rather than negotiating directly with Iran regarding passage.

Previously, on April 3, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel registered in Panama and operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines became the first Japan-related ship to exit the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.

A Japanese government official said that the government was not involved in negotiations regarding the passage of this vessel.

On April 4, another Mitsui O.S.K. Lines-related oil tanker registered in India also exited the strait, reducing the number of Japan-related ships anchored in the Gulf due to the Iran conflict from 45 to 43.

A container ship owned by a French shipowner also passed through and exited the Strait of Hormuz on April 2.

Currently, there are 26 Korean vessels waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz, with a total of 173 crew members on board.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.