Korea’s trade minister on Thursday asked his British counterpart to exempt Korea’s imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Britain’s upcoming sanctions, citing concerns over Seoul’s energy security. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo made the request during a video meeting with Britain’s newly appointed Minister for Trade Anas Sarwar to discuss bilateral trade issues, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a press release. “Britain’s plan to ban the provision of maritime transport, insurance and related services for Russian LNG starting in January 2027 could undermine Korea’s energy security and the stability of its LNG supply,” Yeo said. Without an exemption, the measure could disrupt imports of Russian LNG by the state-run Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), which has a long-term contract to purchase LNG from the Sakhalin-II oil and gas project off Russia’s Pacific coast through March 2028, the ministry said. The ministry also warned that shipments could be disrupted if British insurers suspend reinsurance and other services related to the contract. The European Union (EU), which a
