By Weilun Soon May 20, 2026 (Bloomberg) – A supertanker flying the South Korean flag seems to be making its way through the Strait of Hormuz. If it successfully passes, it will be the first time a vessel from South Kor...
By Weilun Soon
May 20, 2026 (Bloomberg) – A supertanker flying the South Korean flag seems to be making its way through the Strait of Hormuz. If it successfully passes, it will be the first time a vessel from South Korea has crossed this key shipping route.
The Universal Winner, which is carrying crude oil from Kuwait, began indicating on Wednesday morning that it was navigating in the waterway, just south of Iran’s Larak Island. This area is on a route approved by Tehran for vessels transiting Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data.
This very large crude carrier is owned by HMM Co., based in Seoul, and is headed for Ulsan in South Korea. Earlier this month, one of HMM’s bulk carriers was attacked in the Strait. HMM has not yet responded to requests for comments.
The Universal Winner is following two Chinese supertankers that were also trying to cross Hormuz on the same day, but it’s still uncertain if they have safely exited the strait.
The Ocean Lily, carrying oil from Qatar and Iraq and headed to Quanzhou in China, stopped reporting its location early on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Yuan Gui Yang, which is transporting Iraqi oil to Shuidong in southern China, has been stationary for several hours.
If these three supertankers manage to pass safely through Hormuz in the next few hours, it will contribute to the recent increase in crude oil traffic in the corridor and mark one of the busiest days for supertankers since the outbreak of the Middle Eastern conflict at the end of February.
The Ocean Lily is registered in Hong Kong and owned by Able Best Development Ltd., which has the same Shanghai address as Sinochem Shipping Co. Hainan, the ship’s management company. Sinochem Hainan is a subsidiary of the state-owned energy giant, Sinochem Corporation. The Yuan Gui Yang is owned and managed by Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation, part of the Beijing-backed Cosco Shipping.
Sinochem Shipping Co. Hainan and Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation have not responded to requests for comments.