S. Korean oil tanker arrives off Ulsan after exiting Strait of Hormuz

SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean oil tanker arrived off the southeastern port city of Ulsan on Wednesday, about three weeks after exiting the Strait of Hormuz, where it had been stranded amid tensions in the Middle East.

The very large crude carrier (VLCC) Universal Winner, operated by Korean shipping company HMM, reached waters near Ulsan, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, carrying 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil.

As of 3:30 p.m., the vessel was attempting to berth at SK Energy's offshore crude oil unloading facility with assistance from a pilot and tugboats.

Universal Winner, a very large crude carrier operated by South Korean shipper HMM, nears a port in the southeastern city of Ulsan on June 10, 2026. (Yonhap)

The ship was the first of 26 South Korean vessels stranded near the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February 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.

The cargo belongs to SK Trading International, the crude oil trading arm of SK Group.

All 21 crew members -- nine South Koreans and 12 foreign nationals -- are reported to be in good health.