South Korea Reports 40 Ships Near Hormuz Strait, No Damage Amid Iran Tensions

South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Friday that 40 Korean vessels are currently in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, with 26 of them inside the Persian Gulf, but no damage has been reported so far.

The ministry held an emergency briefing on the deteriorating Middle East situation and reported the vessel positions as of 7 a.m. "We are maintaining real-time communication systems to share information on nearby incidents, confirm safety in real time, and remind crews of safety protocols," the ministry said.

Of the 40 Korean ships in the broader Hormuz region, including the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, 26 vessels—or 65%—are positioned inside the strait, west of the northern tip of Oman's Musandam Peninsula.

"We plan to intensively manage safety for these ships and crew members, identify difficulties faced by sailors, and devise support measures in case the Middle East situation becomes prolonged," the ministry said. "We have confirmed there is currently no damage to our vessels."

The announcement comes as military tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran escalate. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned it may attack ships attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait is a critical oil transport route through which approximately 20% to 30% of global petroleum shipments pass. South Korea imported 69.1% of its crude oil from the Middle East last year, with more than 95% of those shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The ministry and the Korea Shipowners' Association have ordered vessels inside the strait to evacuate to safe locations and anchor, while prohibiting nearby ships from entering the waterway. HMM, South Korea's largest container shipping company, has docked one container ship at Dubai port after it was transiting the strait.

Authorities have not yet decided to reroute shipping lanes entirely, but are reviewing plans to unload cargo at alternative ports instead of those inside the strait for vessels passing near the danger zone.