South Korea's foreign minister urged his Iranian counterpart during a call on Monday to guarantee the safe passage of its fleet through the Strait of Hormuz, Seoul said.The call came as South Korea faces mounting risks to its energy supplies, after the strategic artery was effectively closed since the war began late February, when the United States and Israel launched an attack against Iran.
Around 70 percent of South Korea's crude oil imports transit through the waterway.
During the conversation, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun urged his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi to "halt attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in Gulf countries, ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and take steps to ease tensions and stabilise global energy supplies", the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Cho noted that "multiple vessels of various nationalities, including SKorea's", are anchored in the strait -- from which one fifth of global oil and gas supplies flow.
The crisis has already pushed South Korea to impose a fuel price cap for the first time in nearly 30 years.
South Korea uses about 2.5 million barrels of oil per day as of the end of 2024, according to data website Worldometer.
