On April 14, The Korea Herald quoted diplomatic sources confirming that special envoy Chung Byung Ha is on a visit to Iran to negotiate freedom of circulation.
Here, representatives of the South Korean side provided technical information about 26 ships and 173 crew members who are waiting near the Strait of Hormuz. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that this is a public diplomatic step to protect citizens' lives according to international law, not a separate trade agreement or seeking special priority for shipping lines.
At the cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun reported directly to President Lee Jae Myung on the progress of the talks in Tehran.
Accordingly, special envoy Chung Byung Ha is discussing in-depth safety for the South Korean flag ship as well as related humanitarian issues. In parallel with negotiation efforts, Seoul is expected to announce a humanitarian aid package for the Middle East region through international organizations this week to improve living conditions in conflict-affected areas.
Notably, the maritime industry is buzzing about the Mombasa B oil tanker of Janggeum Maritime successfully crossing the strait according to the route approved by Iran.
However, the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries declared that it would not directly monitor this ship because it is an outsourced ship and has no Korean nationals. This incident raises suspicions about Tehran starting to apply transit fee mechanisms or separate route controls for each specific group of ships passing through the Gulf.
South Korea's proactive direct dialogue with Iran is assessed by observers as a practical move to remove the stagnation of the energy supply chain.
In the context of the escalating ceasefire between the US and Iran, maintaining technical communication channels and considering humanitarian aid packages is Seoul's key diplomatic tool. The ultimate goal is to protect the vital trade flow, while minimizing economic risks caused by prolonged congestion at the gateway to the world's most important strait.
