14th South Korean oil tanker transits Red Sea amid Hormuz disruptions

• A 14th South Korean oil tanker successfully transited the Red Sea.
• The tanker loaded crude oil at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port.
• South Korea is increasingly using the Red Sea route due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
• The government views the Red Sea route as the most realistic option for now.

A 14th South Korean oil tanker has successfully transited the Red Sea en route to Asia after loading crude oil from Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced the development, stating that the government considers the Red Sea route the most realistic option amid ongoing disruptions and threats to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Before the Iran conflict escalated in March, South Korea relied on the Strait of Hormuz for a significant portion of its crude oil and naphtha imports. The tanker loaded its cargo at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port on the Red Sea. However, the Red Sea route itself could face future risks if Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen act to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move reportedly awaiting a green light from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.