Seoul: Some 40 South Korean commercial vessels were found to be operating in or near the Strait of Hormuz, the oceans ministry said, amid escalating tensions across the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli air strikes against Iran.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Monday and threatened to attack any ships passing through the ocean route, which carries one-fifth of the oil consumed globally, as reported by Iran's state media.
South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has taken action by ordering vessels within or near the route to relocate to a safer location. Additionally, the ministry has prohibited new vessels from entering the shipping route and is operating a 24-hour emergency response system to monitor the safety of Korean vessels in the area. As of 7 a.m., the ministry indicated there were a total of 40 Korean vessels in waters around the Hormuz strait, including 26 ships located in the inner areas of the strait.
Companies with a Middle Eastern business presence have initiated emergency measures in response to the situation. South Korea's largest container shipper, HMM Co., has anchored its container vessel sailing in the Hormuz strait at a port in Dubai and is considering having vessels that sail near the strait unload their cargo at alternative ports.
In addition, semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics Co. has taken precautionary steps by evacuating employees working in Iran and Israel to nearby countries in the Middle East and issuing a remote-work order to staff in the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Qatar. Hyundai Motor Co. is maintaining an emergency contact system with its staff while closely monitoring developments in the region. A company official stated, "All our staff in the Middle East remain safe. We are reviewing additional response measures if necessary."