‘Relief, but no escape yet’: Korean seafarers still trapped off Hormuz

A boat travels off the coast of Musandam governorate, overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, in Oman, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

Despite a Washington-Tehran ceasefire intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, Koreans stranded in the area say tension, fatigue and anxiety are still building as their ships remain stuck, according to a senior official of their labor union.

“For now they pin their hopes on the (ceasefire) news,” an official at the Federation of Korean Seafarers’ Unions (FKSU) said. “But in the end, they say they will only really relax when the ships actually set sail. Things change so quickly that it is impossible to get a grip on the situation, and that leaves some people upset and frustrated.”

There are 26 vessels linked to Korean companies and roughly 170 Korean and Korea‑linked crew members trapped on the inner side of the waterway, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which is monitoring conditions for reopening and consulting with other countries amid Iran’s control over traffic through the strait.

For now, life looks much the same as it did before the ceasefire, according to the official.

“From our AIS map, we see almost no ship movement,” he said, referring to the Automatic Identification System that transmits each ship’s GPS position. “The dots are basically frozen in place. The crew members say they are just following company instructions, carrying out inspections and other routine tasks to keep themselves and the vessels ready.”

The FKSU, which represents crews on many of the affected ships, has established a 24‑hour monitoring system in its office since late March, tracking the positions of ships with union members aboard and maintaining direct communication with them.

Korean crews are not facing an immediate shortage of drinking water, food, fuel or other essential supplies, the official said. Vessels typically carry around 50 to 60 days’ worth of provisions on board, and conditions, while far from luxurious, are being maintained at a basic level, he added.

In a statement released Wednesday, the FKSU said it is treating the safety of crew members as its “top priority” and is “closely watching developments” while urging the government to take a more proactive role.

The organization also said it will demand special compensation for its members stuck in the war‑risk zone.

“We will closely monitor developments and respond calmly, while above all prioritizing the safety of seafarers through close cooperation with the government,” said Kim Doo-young, head of the federation.

On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it appointed former Ambassador to Kuwait Chung Byung-ha as its special envoy to Iran and will send him to Tehran soon to coordinate the safe passage of Korean vessels and citizens. He is expected to begin talks with Iranian officials this weekend over the issue. This comes a day after Foreign Minister Cho Hyun’s call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.

The two-week ceasefire, announced just ahead of a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the strait or face destruction of key infrastructure facilities, such as bridges and power plants, has raised hopes that the strait would reopen in the coming days. But while Iran says the strait is open to ships that coordinate with its military forces, insurers and shipping companies are still treating it as effectively shut.

The White House has said Trump is dispatching a negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance to Islamabad, Pakistan, for the first round of U.S.-Iran peace talks, with meetings to begin on Saturday (local time).