Oceans minister opposes Iran's push to charge fees for Hormuz transit
Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo speaks to reporters at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries headquarters in the southeastern port city of Busan, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries
Korean Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo has openly opposed Iran's reported push to charge fees on vessels passing through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, calling such action a "violation of international law."
Hwang made the remarks at a press conference held at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries headquarters in the southeastern city of Busan on Thursday, stressing that the Middle Eastern strait is one of the global shipping routes guaranteed free passage by the International Maritime Organization.
"Charging shipping tolls (in the strait) is practically equivalent to blocking the waterway," he said.
"Unlike the Suez Canal, which was man-made, these are international waters, where the free movement of ships is guaranteed under international agreements, and imposing tolls in such waters is inappropriate," he added, calling for freedom of navigation.
Tehran was reportedly pushing to collect tolls on ships passing through the critical trade waterway, which has been effectively choked off amid the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel.
As it remains unclear when the Hormuz strait will reopen, Hwang said the Korean government plans to reroute some oil tankers through the Red Sea for the time being.
As of last week, four Korean vessels had successfully passed through the Red Sea on their way home, the ministry said.
One of the ships arrived in the southwestern port city of Yeosu on Thursday last week, while the other three are currently en route home.
Regarding some 26 Korean vessels carrying 158 Korean sailors on board still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, Hwang said his ministry is maintaining communications with them to ensure their safety, and help them secure sufficient food, drinking water and fuel supplies.
As part of broader efforts to establish new trade routes, the minister said Arctic shipping lanes could become an alternative route for Korea, reaffirming the government's plan to transform Busan and the surrounding southeastern region into a global maritime hub.
"Currently the (Arctic) route is navigable for only three to four months a year, but by 2040, that could be extended to five to six months, and up to eight to nine months with the help of icebreakers," he explained, stressing that preparations for the envisioned expansion of the waterway should begin now.
The ministry is planning to conduct a pilot operation of a 3,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit container vessel from Busan to Rotterdam in the Netherlands in September via the Arctic route. PanStar, a shipping company based in Busan, has been selected to lead the project.
For the initiative, the oceans ministry was relocated to Busan from the central administrative city of Sejong last year.
Last week, HMM, Korea's largest shipping firm, decided to relocate its headquarters from Seoul to Busan by the end of this year.
Smaller shipping firms, including SK Shipping and H-Line Shipping, have also decided to follow suit.