Seoul says most South Korean-operated ships have left the Strait of Hormuz

# Seoul says most South Korean-operated ships have left the Strait of Hormuz

South Korea says two more South Korean-operated vessels have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, cutting the number still stuck in the Gulf to three after weeks of disruption caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the two vessels passed through the strait on Saturday with four Korean crew members aboard. The Korea Herald reported that the latest transit brought the total number of South Korean-operated ships to clear the waterway to 23, out of 26 that had been stranded when the conflict began.

The ministry said the ships had received passage approval from Iranian authorities after the memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran. That detail matters because it suggests shipping traffic is beginning to move again, but only under a framework tied to the ceasefire arrangement.

As of Sunday, three South Korean-operated ships remained in the Gulf. One is HMM’s Namu, which is undergoing repairs at a port in Dubai after being damaged in a May 4 attack near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report. The other two have yet to complete cargo loading and other departure procedures.

The Korean government said 43 Korean nationals remained in the area, including 13 aboard Korean vessels and 30 aboard foreign vessels. No deaths had been reported aboard Korean vessels during the evacuation process.

The ministry said it had supported safe navigation by making diplomatic efforts to secure passage, monitoring ships in real time and providing navigational information while they were in transit. That statement suggests Seoul sees the matter as part maritime safety operation, part diplomatic management task.

The larger backdrop remains fragile. The Korea Herald report said renewed US strikes on Iranian targets had raised concerns that the ceasefire arrangement could come under strain. The US Central Command said it had carried out fresh strikes after a Panama-flagged tanker was attacked by an Iranian drone, calling the response direct retaliation against continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard then said it had launched joint missile and drone operations targeting US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Taken together, those developments show that the shipping corridor is still being shaped by military escalation even as some vessels begin to leave the Gulf.

For South Korea, the immediate issue is not just energy supply but the safety of crew, cargo and ships caught in a conflict zone. The fact that 23 vessels have already passed through offers some relief, but the remaining three represent a reminder that the strait is still not fully normal.

The pace of departures will matter in the days ahead. If the ceasefire holds, more ships may move out. If it frays, the number stranded in the Gulf could rise again just as quickly. For now, Seoul is betting on diplomacy, maritime monitoring and cautious passage approvals to get its fleet home.