Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, who returned earlier in the day from a visit to the UAE as a special envoy of President Lee Jae Myung, told a briefing that Abu Dhabi had assured Seoul it would be given top priority in crude shipments.
“The UAE made it clear that no country will receive oil ahead of South Korea. Korea is their number one priority in crude supply,” Kang said.
The two sides also agreed to allow South Korea to make emergency crude purchases from the UAE whenever necessary, he added.
As part of the agreement, Seoul secured an additional 18 million barrels of crude oil through multiple supply channels. Of the total, 6 million barrels will be transported by three UAE-flagged tankers, while another 12 million barrels will be shipped via six South Korean vessels.
An additional tanker carrying naphtha is currently en route to South Korea, Kang said.
The latest deal follows an earlier emergency purchase of 6 million barrels from the UAE, bringing the total secured volume to 24 million barrels.
South Korea, which depends on imports for the vast majority of its energy needs, is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in Middle Eastern supply routes. The UAE has long been one of Seoul’s key crude suppliers, with bilateral energy cooperation further strengthened through strategic projects such as the Barakah nuclear power plant.
Kang said the agreement is expected to help stabilize the domestic oil supply amid ongoing uncertainties.
Beyond short-term supply measures, the two countries also agreed to strengthen long-term cooperation to guard against potential disruptions in energy supply chains.
They plan to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on crude supply chain cooperation in the near future, which will include efforts to explore alternative supply routes and enhance joint response mechanisms in times of crisis.
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