Iran seizes South Korean tanker Hankuk Chemi near the Strait of Hormuz
Incident Report
Fact Sheet
| Date | 4 Jan 2021 |
| Tracker | Strait of Hormuz Tensions |
| Type | Interception |
| Location |
Strait of Hormuz
26.18, 56.25 (approximate) |
What Happened
On January 4, 2021, Iran's IRGC Navy seized the South Korean-flagged chemical tanker Hankuk Chemi near the Strait of Hormuz, escorting it to Bandar Abbas. Iran's maritime authority alleged the vessel, carrying roughly 7,200 tons of ethanol and other chemicals, had repeatedly polluted Gulf waters; the tanker's South Korean operator denied any spill occurred. The seizure came as Seoul faced pressure from Tehran over roughly $7 billion in Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions. The 20 crew members were held aboard. Iran released the tanker on April 9, 2021.
Measured Footprint
| Series | That day | Prior 30-day avg | Week after vs before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transits | 51 +1% | 50.4 | +2% (401 → 408) |
| Tankers | 33 +4% | 31.6 | +4% (253 → 262) |
| Cargo ships | 18 -4% | 18.8 | -1% (148 → 146) |
Daily figures from IMF PortWatch around January 4, 2021; the day's value is compared with the trailing 30-day average. Week comparisons are shown only when the series covers both full weeks.
Strait of Hormuz
Marker placed at sea area precision.
Activity Around the Incident
Commercial ship transits of the Strait of Hormuz, two weeks either side
Daily counts from IMF PortWatch; the highlighted bar is the incident day, January 4, 2021.
Incidents Around the Same Period
Nearest logged incidents
| Date | Type | Incident |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 2019 | Interception | Iran seizes British tanker Stena Impero in Strait of Hormuz, retaliating for Gibraltar's Grace 1 seizure |
| 30 Jul 2021 | Strike | Iranian drone attack on tanker Mercer Street off Oman kills two crew members |
| 3 Aug 2021 | Interception | Armed boarders briefly seize tanker Asphalt Princess off UAE in foiled hijacking |
| 27 May 2022 | Interception | Iran seizes two Greek-flagged tankers, Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon, in the Persian Gulf |