South Korea's Foreign Ministry has sent director-general-level officials to Algeria and Libya and is seeking to dispatch a special envoy to the Republic of the Congo as Seoul works to secure alternative energy supply routes. The moves follow a directive from President Lee Jae Myung after U.S. military action against Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz (a critical chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil exports pass). Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik has also been deployed to the Middle East as a special envoy, while a separate envoy to Iran remains in contact with senior officials in Tehran over regional developments and the safety of South Korean nationals and vessels.