\r\n According to The Financial News, Kang Hoon-sik, who visited four countries in the Middle East and Central Asia as a special presidential envoy for strategic economic cooperation on behalf of President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea, achieved the result of securing an additional 273 million barrels of crude oil and 2.1 million tons of naphtha on site. The crude oil volume corresponds to roughly three months of Korea’s normal consumption, while the naphtha volume is equivalent to about one month of imports. He particularly emphasized that all of these quantities were secured through alternative supply routes that are unrelated to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In a briefing held at Chunchugwan on the 15th, Kang said, "From the 7th to the 14th, I visited four countries in total: Kazakhstan, a resource-rich nation in Central Asia, and Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which are major energy suppliers in the Middle East, to discuss ways to secure crude oil and naphtha." He added, "We have arranged for the introduction of 273 million barrels of crude oil by the end of this year and secured up to an additional 2.1 million tons of naphtha by year-end as well." It is said that the additional imports of crude oil and naphtha were made possible thanks to coordinated efforts led by the presidential office, together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), and other government and public institutions, as well as the companies that actually import crude oil and naphtha. Kang stated, "The crude oil and naphtha secured this time will be brought in from alternative supply routes that are unrelated to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, so they will make a direct and tangible contribution to stabilizing domestic supply and demand." The process of securing additional crude oil and naphtha was reportedly far from smooth. Kang explained, "In fact, the negotiations were not easy. From the standpoint of each country, it is extremely difficult to allocate additional volumes, and even honoring existing commitments is very challenging under the current circumstances. We are in a time of war," adding, "We did our utmost in good faith, and I cautiously believe that this sincerity may have resonated with them." In Kazakhstan, Kang paid a direct courtesy call on President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and delivered a personal letter from President Lee Jae Myung, noting that "so far, Korea is the only country whose envoy has been granted an audience by the president." In Oman, he met with Diyazin bin Haitham Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and eldest son of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, who is first in line to the throne. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he first met with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the foreign minister, and then held talks with Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, the energy minister, where he underscored the importance of bilateral economic cooperation not only in energy but also in automobiles, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals. Hyundai Motor Company is currently building a joint-venture plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Qatar was not originally on the itinerary, but after news of a ceasefire agreement broke early on the 8th, the delegation urgently sought a visit while on site. Kang said, "The special envoy delegation paid a courtesy call on Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and delivered a personal letter from President Lee Jae Myung," adding, "We conveyed our hope that, once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export contracts concluded with Korea will be implemented on schedule without disruption." Kang went on, "With oil-producing countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman, we also exchanged in-depth views on various areas of cooperation aimed at fundamentally resolving the risks arising from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, including bypass oil pipelines and the construction of oil storage facilities outside the Strait of Hormuz." He emphasized, "Middle Eastern oil producers continue to show strong interest in expanding international joint stockpiling projects that make use of our country’s oil storage facilities." Alongside efforts to secure additional crude oil and naphtha, energy-saving measures such as alternate-day driving restrictions for public institution vehicles, a one-in-five rotation system at public parking lots, and a voluntary one-in-five system for the private sector will remain in place for the time being. Regarding the maximum price scheme for petroleum products, Kang said, "The scheme itself will continue; the issue is the price level," and added, "We are discussing whether price adjustments are needed while maintaining the scheme." cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun, Sung Seok-woo Reporter