Blue House dismisses claims that Qatar has invoked force majeure on LNG supply contracts
Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 17:47
![Liquefied natural gas facilities are seen in Ras Laffan Industrial City in Ras Laffan, Qatar, on Feb. 25. [EPA/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/25/c5c41951-994f-40d7-90da-48294dcf1653.jpg)
Liquefied natural gas facilities are seen in Ras Laffan Industrial City in Ras Laffan, Qatar, on Feb. 25. [EPA/YONHAP]
The Blue House on Wednesday dismissed foreign media reports that Qatar had invoked force majeure on long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts with Korea and other major importers, saying that “no official decision has been made” and that supply remains stable.
Force majeure refers to a contractual clause that exempts parties from legal responsibility when they cannot fulfill obligations due to events beyond their control, such as war or natural disasters.
“The Korean government already considers the possibility of disruptions in Qatari LNG imports and is preparing measures,” the Blue House said. “We will closely monitor the situation in Qatar and take necessary steps.”
“Even if imports from Qatar are halted, supplies from non-Middle Eastern sources continue to come in smoothly, so a stable flow of supplies will remain possible through the end of the year,” added the Blue House.
The Blue House's comments come after Reuters reported that QatarEnergy, Qatar’s state-owned energy company, declared force majeure on its long-term LNG supply contracts on Tuesday following an attack by Iran. Iran launched the attack after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes hit its nuclear facilities on Feb. 28, which Tehran retaliated by striking gas infrastructure in neighboring countries and closing the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route for global oil and gas — on March 2, disrupting global energy supply chains.
![The U.S. flag, back left; the Iranian flag, back right; and 3-D-printed oil barrels are seen in this photo taken on March 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/03/25/6f79089f-c3c3-46ba-b0b4-0a8ac7e2f018.jpg)
The U.S. flag, back left; the Iranian flag, back right; and 3-D-printed oil barrels are seen in this photo taken on March 23. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters on Thursday that the company may need to declare force majeure for up to five years on LNG contracts with Korea, China, Italy and Belgium.
He explained that the attack on Ras Laffan, Qatar's main site for production of LNG and gas-to-liquid, knocked out 17 percent of Qatar's LNG export capacity, but the impact would last up to five years because of what was damaged.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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