SEOUL, April 14 – South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday that the foreign ministry has dispatched envoys to Algeria and Libya and plans to send another envoy to the Republic of Congo to seek new supply routes amid the Middle East crisis.
Cho made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting after President Lee Jae Myung called on the government to explore supply chain alternatives as the United States’ war against Iran has choked off the crucial Strait of Hormuz and disrupted maritime traffic in the Middle East.
Park Jong-han, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, is visiting Algeria and Libya this week to discuss potential supply chain cooperation.
The ministry is also appointing Jung Hai-ung, a retired diplomat and former ambassador to Algeria, as a special envoy to the Republic of Congo.
“The ministry will actively pursue the dispatch of presidential envoys after consulting with relevant ministries, the Korea Petroleum Association and other stakeholders to contribute to the government’s efforts to secure alternative sources of supply,” Cho said.
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik has also been dispatched to the Middle East as a special envoy.
Cho said that Chung Byung-ha, the special envoy to Iran, has been in contact with senior Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss regional developments, the safety of South Korean nationals, vessels and crew and passage of ships.
