186 Korean seafarers stranded aboard ships in Strait of Hormuz, Oceans Ministry maintaining contact

More than 180 Korean seafarers remain aboard over two dozen ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Wednesday, as safety concerns mount after the vital shipping route was effectively closed by the Middle East conflict.

A total of 144 Korean crew members are aboard 26 Korean vessels in the key waterway where roughly 20 percent of the world's oil and gas passes through, the ministry said in a release after holding a meeting to check the situation in the region.

An additional 42 Koreans remain on board foreign ships.

The crew and vessels are unable to leave the region as the escalating conflict in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran has effectively shut down the shipping channel.

The ministry said it maintains a real-time communication system with shipping companies and vessels, while closely monitoring the ships' locations and safety conditions.

Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Sung-bum, who presided over the meeting, said the ministry is having discussions with shipping firms about supplying daily necessities to vessels and arranging for crew members to disembark and return home if the situation becomes prolonged.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned of launching missiles on foreign ships seeking to pass through the lane. U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the shipping route.

Yonhap