Two more South Korean vessels clear the Strait of Hormuz; three remain, including the missile-damaged HMM Namu
With Saturday's clearances, 23 of the 26 South Korean-linked ships stranded since February have exited the strait; HMM Namu is undergoing hull repairs in Dubai after taking an Iranian missile hit; 43 Korean seafarers remain in the zone
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Summary
Two more South Korean-linked vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on June 27, leaving three of the 26 ships stranded since February still inside the zone. The HMM Namu, which took an Iranian missile hit during the active conflict phase, remains under hull repair in Dubai and is not expected to move in the near term. The Korean Ministry of Oceans confirmed that 43 Korean nationals, including crew aboard foreign-flagged vessels, remain in the area. President Lee said on June 26 he expected three more clearances over the weekend.
Why it matters
The Korean vessel clearances are proceeding on the same day the Islamabad MoU is under its most severe stress since signing, with Tehran condemning US strikes and the IRGC rejecting any Hormuz deconfliction channel. The fact that South Korean commercial vessels are still clearing the strait on June 27 despite fresh IRGC strikes on Gulf bases underscores the fragility of the status quo: commercial passage is resuming in one lane while the diplomatic framework enabling it is deteriorating in real time.