South Korea has denied reports that it is considering paying Iran fees for the passage of Middle Eastern oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the presidential Blue House.
In a statement on Thursday (April 2), a Blue House spokesperson told Reuters that claims regarding a review of Hormuz transit fee payments were “completely untrue” and not under consideration.
The clarification comes after the Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Seoul was evaluating the possibility of such payments, citing an unnamed presidential official. The report suggested the move was linked to concerns over potential disruptions to energy supplies from the Middle East.
However, the presidential office firmly rejected the claim, stressing that no such policy discussions were taking place.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global energy chokepoint, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass, making any speculation over transit-related fees highly sensitive for energy-importing nations like South Korea.
