This RI-neighbour's tanker has successfully passed the Strait of Hormuz

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A South Korean oil tanker is currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The information was disclosed by the country’s senior diplomat on Wednesday (20 May 2026).

“At present, our oil tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” said Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to members of the National Assembly in Seoul.

The Marine Traffic vessel-tracking site also shows this. The tanker UniversaI Win, flying the South Korean flag, is on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz near the entrance to the Gulf of Oman, en route to Ulsan in the southeast of the Peninsula after departing from Mina Al Ahmadi port in Kuwait.

This development comes weeks after a vessel operated by South Korea was struck by debris near the Strait of Hormuz. It raises concerns in Seoul about the safety of South Korean shipping in the region.

Earlier, voyage data showed two Chinese tankers carrying around 4 million barrels of Iraqi crude and successfully crossing the narrow route of the Strait of Hormuz.

The development comes after US President Donald Trump said war could end “very quickly” and Vice President JD Vance disclosed progress in talks with Tehran.

“I have one hour left to decide whether to do it today,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

“The Iranian leaders are now begging for an agreement,” he said.

“We are in a position that is quite good here,” Vance said at a White House press conference, Reuters reported.