South Korean Tanker Universal Winner Returns to Ulsan After 3-Month Stranding Near Strait of Hormuz
The VLCC reached waters near the southeastern port on June 10 after exiting the Strait of Hormuz under a May 20 agreement between South Korea and Iran.
YonhapA South Korean oil tanker arrived off the southeastern port city of Ulsan on June 10, about three weeks after exiting the Strait of Hormuz. The very large crude carrier Universal Winner reached waters near Ulsan, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, carrying 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil. m.
On June 10, the vessel was attempting to berth at SK Energy's offshore crude oil unloading facility with assistance from a pilot and tugboats. The Universal Winner is operated by Korean shipping company HMM, and its cargo belongs to SK Trading International, the crude oil trading arm of SK Group.
The ship was the first of 26 South Korean vessels stranded near the Strait of Hormuz to leave the area.
The tanker had been en route to load Kuwaiti crude when it entered the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, the day the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran. The Universal Winner was allowed to depart under an agreement reached between South Korea and Iran on May 20.
All 21 crew members — nine South Koreans and 12 foreign nationals — are reported to be in good health.
