SOUTH KOREA PERSPECTIVE

Seoul picks up a signal others miss: Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon. The Korea Times documents this parallel escalation alongside the ceasefire — Iran shut the strait after Israeli attacks on Hezbollah, de facto linking the Lebanese question to the vital maritime passage. For South Korea, which imports over 70% of its oil through Hormuz, this is existential news. Korean framing is the most pragmatic in the panel: no talk of diplomacy or victory, but a direct alarm on energy supply. Seoul sees in this ceasefire not the end of conflict but the beginning of a new phase of uncertainty where the strait can be opened or closed at the whim of regional provocations. South Korea's energy vulnerability transforms every Middle Eastern escalation into a direct threat to industry and daily life.