Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

South Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries emerged as a direct participant in the Hormuz navigation standoff on 25 June 2026. The ministry confirmed that five additional South Korean-operated vessels had cleared the Strait without coordinating with the IRGC Navy on Channel 16 — the mandatory coordination the IRGC had just declared that morning — bringing the total of South Korean transits to 11 of roughly 24 vessels that had been stranded since the IRGC closure. The ministry stated the ships were 'passing through the strategic waterway and sailing normally,' a carefully worded non-confrontational framing while defying the IRGC's demand. Twenty-one South Korean sailors were aboard the departing vessels.

The ministry's role reflects South Korea's acute exposure to Hormuz disruption: South Korea imports roughly 70% of its crude oil from Gulf producers, with a significant share transiting the strait. Seoul had been among the first governments to engage bilaterally with the Islamabad memorandum framework and had vessels stranded since the initial IRGC closure. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries — responsible for maritime affairs, port operations, and the welfare of Korean seafarers abroad — coordinated the transits rather than the foreign ministry, signalling this was treated as a maritime operational matter rather than a diplomatic one.

The Korean transits are significant as a test case: South Korea, operating under the Islamabad MOU's 60-day toll-free window, sailed through the strait without acknowledging the IRGC's counter-order, setting a precedent that other non-US, non-Chinese flag states will observe. If the IRGC enforces its Channel 16 mandate against Korean-flagged vessels, it risks a direct confrontation with a major US ally and LNG customer.