Ambassadors to South Korea from seven Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), met with the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Thursday and pledged to prioritize crude oil supply to Korea.
Rep. Kim Seok-ki, a People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker who chairs the committee, relayed the outcome after meeting with ambassadors from six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain — as well as Jordan at a conference room in the National Assembly.
According to Rep. Kim, the ambassadors criticized Iran, saying, "The GCC nations and Jordan are not parties to the war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, yet Iran's unilateral attacks have damaged civilian facilities including airports, ports, residential areas and industrial complexes." They added, "Significant damage has been inflicted on civilian infrastructure — not military installations — such as ports, airports, residential areas and industrial complexes."
The ambassadors also condemned Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz. "The global economy is suffering enormous damage from the control of the Strait of Hormuz," they said. "Charging tolls or attacking passing vessels is unacceptable." They expressed hope that Korea would "join the international community in condemning these actions."
Committee members shared the view with the GCC and Jordanian ambassadors that the war must end swiftly and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz must be restored.
The lawmakers also expressed gratitude to the UAE and Qatar for assisting in the evacuation of Korean nationals from the Middle East.
The meeting was arranged after the UAE Embassy expressed its intention to visit the National Assembly last month. On the Korean side, committee chairman Kim was joined by Rep. Lee Yong-sun of the Democratic Party of Korea, Rep. Kim Geon of the PPP who serves as the opposition floor manager of the committee, and Rep. Kim Jun-hyung of the Rebuilding Korea Party.
From the GCC side, attendees included UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdullah Saif Al Nuaimi, Qatar Ambassador to Korea Khalid Al Hamar, Bahrain Ambassador to Korea Saud Hassan Al Nosufi, Kuwait Chargé d'Affaires to Korea Ammar Abdulhafed Maarafi, Saudi Arabia Chargé d'Affaires to Korea Fahad Mohammed Baraka, Oman Chargé d'Affaires to Korea Rim Ali Al Siyabi, and Jordan Ambassador to Korea Asal Al-Tal.