South Korea said Thursday that "free navigation safety must be guaranteed for all vessels and global energy supply normalization must be achieved promptly," in response to Iran's push to impose transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official made the remarks to reporters at the Government Seoul Complex on Thursday. "On the Strait of Hormuz issue, we need to look at the overall picture — how U.S.-Iran negotiations are progressing, what positions major countries are taking, and what discussions are happening at the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization," the official said. "We are comprehensively assessing the impact on South Korea-Iran relations alongside international discussions."
Iran's parliamentary National Security Committee recently approved a management plan that includes regulations for imposing transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
On the recent push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, the official said, "We will cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under close communication with the U.S. side," adding that "a visit to South Korea by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi is also being coordinated."