SEOUL, April 14 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korean foreign ministry has dispatched envoys to Algeria and Libya and is seeking to send additional envoys to secure alternative supply routes amid the West Asia crisis, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said.
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 West Asia, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Cho said the ministry has sent director-general-level officials to Algeria and Libya and is seeking to dispatch a special envoy of the foreign minister to the Republic of the 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 West Asia 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.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
