2 more Korean vessels clear Strait of Hormuz

Two additional Korean vessels have cleared the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded there for months amid the conflict in the Middle East, the oceans ministry said Saturday. "Two vessels operated by Korean shipping companies, which had been waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz, are sailing normally after passing through the strait," a ministry official said. They were among the 26 Korea-related vessels that had been stranded in the strait after Iran blocked shipping routes in the waterway in late February amid its conflict with the United States and Israel.

The first two of them cleared the strait during the conflict with Iranian assistance, while the remaining vessels were leaving the waterway one by one after the U.S. and Iran signed a ceasefire deal earlier this month.

The latest passage left three Korea-related vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, including the HMM Namu, which sustained damage in Iranian-linked missile attacks and is undergoing repairs at a port in Dubai. Four Korean crew members were aboard the two vessels that recently cleared the strait, but neither vessel is