Korean shipping company denies ownership of tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz
A Sinokor-operated tanker was among two oil vessels struck by unidentified projectiles while leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Aug. 25.
REUTERS/YONHAP
Two very large crude carriers exiting the Strait of Hormuz were struck by unidentified projectiles on Monday.
One was identified by foreign media as operated by Korean shipping company Sinokor Maritime, but the company disputed the claim, saying it does not hold actual ownership of the vessel.
The Financial Times said Sinokor's Liberian-flagged Senegal Prosperity and the Saudi-flagged Sidr were hit as they were exiting the strait outbound.
"The vessel is one Sinokor Merchant Marine had chartered and then sub-chartered to another party," an official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said. "The vessel has no history of registration with [Korea's] domestic shipping industry, nor were there any Korean crew members aboard."
According to information confirmed through Sinokor Merchant Marine and echoed by the Korea Shipowners' Association, both the Senegal Prosperity as well as the five vessels reportedly named on Iran's tanker blacklist are vessels "100 percent owned by [non-Korean] overseas shipowners."
"Sinokor Maritime, an affiliate company [of Sinokor Merchant Marine], does not hold actual ownership of the vessel," the association said in a press release.
"We have confirmed that no Korean crew members are aboard the vessel and it is crewed entirely by foreign nationals, and that it has been sub-chartered to an overseas oil company."
Both vessels were carrying Saudi crude oil, with each estimated to have loaded around two million barrels.
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said Senegal Prosperity was struck by three unidentified projectiles in waters about 17 nautical miles (19.5 miles) east of Khasab, Oman. The ship sustained damage, but all crew members were reported safe. Sidr was also struck by projectiles in the same general area.
The two attacks reportedly occurred within minutes of each other, though no party has been officially confirmed as responsible so far.
The attacks come amid renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran. With vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz already sharply reduced, the tanker strikes have deepened concerns over disruption to oil shipments.
A total of 26 Korean-flagged vessels were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz when the war broke out. Of those, 24 got out when the strait temporarily reopened under the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, leaving two vessels still inside.
UPDATE, Sept. 2: Included comment from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Shipowners' Association.
BY SEO JI-EUN, HYEON YE-SEUL [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
