Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi (left) shakes hands with Rep. Kim Seok-ki (center) of the People Power Party, chair of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi (left) shakes hands with Rep. Kim Seok-ki (center) of the People Power Party, chair of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday asked Iran to ensure the safe and free passage of South Korean vessels through the Strait of Hormuz during a meeting with the Iranian ambassador to Seoul.

Rep. Kim Seok-ki of the People Power Party, chair of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, told reporters that he and other committee members held a closed-door meeting with Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi at the National Assembly in Seoul.

Kim said he asked Iran to take steps to guarantee freedom of navigation, noting that a significant portion of South Korea’s energy imports passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

“We conveyed our hope that measures would be taken to ensure the prompt resumption of free passage, and asked the ambassador to relay our concerns to his government and make efforts on the issue,” Kim said.

He also called on Iran to swiftly pursue diplomatic solutions to ease tensions with the United States, warning that the ongoing conflict is having a broad international impact, including on South Korea.

In response, Koozechi expressed hope that the international community would work together to restore peace in the Middle East, Kim said.

Rep. Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea, the committee’s floor leader, said he asked the ambassador whether reports of a 15-point agreement between Iran and the United States were true, to which Koozechi responded that they were “fake news.”

He added that the Iranian side emphasized its actions were in self-defense and claimed the United States and Israel had provoked the country.

Lawmakers also raised concerns over the safety of South Korean nationals and vessels in the region.

Kim Seok-ki said 26 South Korean vessels and around 180 crew members are currently in or near the Strait of Hormuz, while about 13,000 South Korean nationals remain in Gulf countries near Iran.

He said the lawmakers asked Iran to pay special attention to the safety of South Korean citizens.

Koozechi responded that Iran had taken active measures since the early stages of the conflict to assist South Koreans in evacuating and would continue to cooperate to ensure their safety, treating them as “guests” and prioritizing their protection if needed.


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