South Korea sends envoy to Middle East to secure energy supplies

South Korea’s top presidential aide, Kang Hoon-sik, will visit Kazakhstan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia on April 7 to discuss ways to secure oil and naphtha supplies.

The trip comes amid government efforts to ensure stable raw material imports, as there are few signs of progress toward a ceasefire in the US-Israel conflict with Iran, Caliber.Az reports, citing South Korean media.

“The government's most urgent priority is to ensure the stable supplies of essential necessities,” Kang said, noting that South Korea remains heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil and naphtha imports.

Last month, Seoul secured a priority shipment of 24 million barrels of oil from the UAE, which has already begun arriving at the country’s ports.

Kang also stressed the need to identify alternative sources of raw materials until the crisis is fully resolved and pledged close cooperation with companies to achieve concrete results.

Additionally, the government is taking steps to ensure the safe passage of 26 South Korean-flagged vessels currently in the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February.

The special envoy will travel with representatives from the Ministry of Trade and local energy companies.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov