CCTV screen of the Korean national ship’Korea Chemie’ captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the 4th (local time). On the right is a high-speed boat from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Reporter Song Bong-geun
Even after the’Korea Chemie’ was detained in Iran, a total of five Korean ships were confirmed to have entered the route. The Strait of Hormuz, where ships were captured, is a key route for world trade that more than a third of the world’s oil tankers pass, and Korean ships also pass there more than 900 times a year.
According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on the 5th, on the 4th (local time), after the Korean national chemical carrier Korea Chemie (9797t) was captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries instructed Korean ships passing the same route to “strengthen external boundaries.” An official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said, “On the 4th, we contacted 3 sailing ships in the nearby sea area to recommend safe operation, and on the 5th, we delivered cautions to the 2 vessels that were trying to enter the area.”
For the time being, the tension of Korean ships passing through this area is expected to increase. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries first decided to reduce the location reception period of Korean ships from 6 hours to 1 hour. Also, 24 hours before the ship entered the Strait of Hormuz, the ship security alarm system (SSAS) was checked. Since the dawn of this day, Choi Young-ship of the Navy’s Cheonghae Unit is watching the situation in the nearby sea.
A government official said, “Although Choi Young is not escorting all civilian ships, it is in the Strait of Hormuz, and we expect to ensure safe navigation of Korean ships.” According to Marine Traffic, which provides a ship location tracking service, as of the 5th, civilian ships, including foreign ships, are operating the Strait of Hormuz as usual.
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is currently sharing the situation with the security officer of ships operating in the Middle East by setting up a separate communication network. An official from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs said, “We communicate through KakaoTalk chat rooms or text messages.”
The government currently believes that there are no problems with the safety of seafarers detained in Iran. The government said, “We are communicating with the crew’s family in real time about the safety of the crew and the government’s response situation,” and “We will support the safe return of all the people by cooperating with related organizations such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Sejong = Reporter Seongbin Lim [email protected]