Blue House denies that Lee considered providing humanitarian aid to Iran for release of Korean vessels in Hormuz
Published: 06 Apr. 2026, 15:27
Updated: 06 Apr. 2026, 15:34
![The Blue House is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/06/cb16af5f-2113-43d9-bc60-37ab266df27a.jpg)
The Blue House is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [NEWS1]
The Blue House denied a report that President Lee Jae Myung considered providing humanitarian aid to Iran to secure the release of Korean vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
A local media outlet earlier reported that Lee issued those instructions — due to concerns regarding a Korean-flagged vessel stranded in the strait — during a closed-door emergency meeting with aides from the Blue House and ministers from related government agencies last week.
“No plan has been reviewed to provide relief in exchange for secure vessel passage,” the Blue House said. “The review of humanitarian assistance is being handled, with only the aim of improving humanitarian conditions in the Middle East.”
The report had suggested that Lee instructed officials to consider providing aid to Iran, as well as measures to bring back Korean-flagged ships stranded in the strait, raising questions about whether humanitarian assistance could be linked to maritime security.
“The government believes that freedom of navigation and safety for all vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the prompt normalization of global energy supply must be ensured in accordance with international norms,” stated the Blue House. “Communication and cooperation with relevant countries are ongoing under this position.”
The denial follows Thursday's meeting, during which an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended a multilateral ministerial meeting with 34 other countries to discuss ensuring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions involving Iran.
The participating nations issued a joint statement condemning disruptions to the shipping lane and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting maritime safety and freedom of navigation, according to the Foreign Ministry.
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 KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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