Seoul, June 27 (IANS) Two additional South Korean vessels have cleared the Strait of Hormuz after being stranded there for months amid the conflict in the Middle East, the oceans ministry said on Saturday.

“Two vessels operated by South Korean shipping companies, which had been waiting inside the Strait of Hormuz, are sailing normally after passing through the strait,” a ministry official said, reports Yonhap news agency.

They were among the 26 South Korea-related vessels that had been stranded in the strait after Iran blocked shipping routes in the waterway in late February amid its conflict with the United States and Israel.

The first two of them cleared the strait during the conflict with Iranian assistance, while the remaining vessels were leaving the waterway one by one after the U.S. and Iran signed a ceasefire deal earlier this month.

The latest passage left three South Korea-related vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, including the HMM Namu, which sustained damage in Iranian-linked missile attacks and is undergoing repairs at a port in Dubai.

Four South Korean crew members were aboard the two vessels that recently cleared the strait, but neither vessel is bound for South Korea.

A total of 43 South Korea crew members are still stranded in the strait, including those aboard South Korean vessels and foreign-flagged ships, according to the ministry.

The ministry said it had conducted real-time monitoring and provided diplomatic and navigation assistance, together with the foreign ministry, to help the ships safely pass through the waterway.

Meanwhile, South Korea on Friday lowered price ceilings on fuel products to reflect the recent decline in global crude oil prices, with the finance minister vowing to freeze electricity and gas rates in the second half of the year to further tame inflation.

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol made the remarks during a meeting with economy-related ministers, noting the cap system will remain in place until consumer prices are fully stabilised.

“The government will adjust the emergency measures currently in place in phases by closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and the South Korean economy,” Koo said.

—IANS

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