Home > National > Defense

Defense minister urges military to maintain its readiness amid energy concerns due to Middle East crisis

Published: 07 Apr. 2026, 17:27 Updated: 07 Apr. 2026, 17:43

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, center, visits an oil storage facility at the Korean Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing in Wonju, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) east of Seoul, on April 7. [MINISTRY OF DEFENSE]

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday called on the military to maintain its readiness by thoroughly securing and managing its oil supply amid the Middle East crisis, calling oil an “axis of combat power.”

Ahn made the remark as he visited an oil storage facility at an air base in Wonju in Gangwon, some 140 kilometers (87 miles) east of Seoul, and inspected contingency response systems and ongoing energy-saving measures, the Ministry of National Defense said.

“Oil is not merely a resource but an axis of combat power that determines the operational sustainment capability of our military as uncertainties over global energy supply are increasing due to the [Iran] war,” Ahn said.

“We should maintain [our] readiness through stable oil supply and seamless management, even in peacetime,” he added.

Global oil prices have risen sharply as the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, disrupting global oil supplies. Korea relies heavily on imports for energy.

As part of the visit, Ahn held a leadership lecture for Korean Air Force squadron commanders and called on them to adhere to fundamental principles while staying vigilant to guard the lives and safety of troops, the ministry said.

Yonhap