Universal Winner, a very large crude carrier operated by South Korean shipper HMM, nears a port in the southeastern city of Ulsan, June 10. Yonhap
As the United States and Iran have reached a peace deal aimed at ending their war, South Korea is expected to put its diplomatic priority on securing the safe passage of 24 ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday (U.S. time) that the two sides had reached a peace agreement, with the strait set to reopen once the deal is formally signed Friday.
The announcement followed months of hostilities that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, and which effectively choked off the waterway.
The 24 vessels, with a total of 137 Korean sailors onboard, have been pinned in ports across Qatar and the United Arab Emirates since the war shut down the waterway, one of the world's most critical shipping lanes for oil, fertilizer and other commodities.
