Korean oil tanker, MT Hankuk Chemi, operated by DM Shipping, departs the Iranian port of Rajai, after being released, along with its captain, in this April 2021 file photo. Iranian authorities had seized the ship near the Strait of Hormuz in January 2021, alleging violations of environmental regulations. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

By Park Jae-hyuk

Korea's lingering diplomatic conflict with Iran, inflamed by President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent remarks branding the Middle Eastern country as the archenemy of the United Arab Emirates, has been mentioned as a potential threat to the Korean shipping industry, since the Korea Shipowners' Association (KSA) issued a warning last Wednesday to vessels sailing in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to "remain vigilant."

Just a few days after Yoon sparked the diplomatic controversy during his visit to the UAE, the KSA sent a letter to its members to warn them of growing concerns about the safety of ships sailing off the coast of Iran.

"The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) seized two Greek oil tankers in May 2022, and the U.K. is set to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group," the association said in the letter. "We ask you to be extra cautious about sailing in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz."