Cargo ships in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz [Reuters=Yonhap News] 

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 17th that our vessel, loaded with crude oil from the port of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, has safely exited the Red Sea. 

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, this departure is the first since the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and it is a case of transporting crude oil domestically via the Red Sea, which is a detour route.

Previously, on the 6th, during the report on the measures related to our vessels entering via the Hormuz detour at the 14th State Council and 4th Emergency Economic Inspection Meeting, a plan to secure crude oil and monitor the safety of our vessels using the Red Sea, a detour route for the Strait of Hormuz, was discussed.

In response, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has been pursuing a plan to utilize the Red Sea as a Hormuz detour route in cooperation with relevant organizations and industries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Hwang Jong-woo, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "Going forward, we will do our utmost to ensure that the domestic transportation of crude oil by our vessels from the Middle East proceeds without disruption, by cooperating with relevant organizations and industries while considering the safety of our vessels and crew."

Reporter Lim Yo-hee