How South Korean jet fuel — and pop music — are impacting Hawaiʻi and beyond
Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By Bill Dorman
Published June 3, 2026 at 2:14 PM HST
Uncertainty continues to surround the Strait of Hormuz as military conflict continues in the region.
U.S. Central Command said it carried out a round of “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian speed boats used to lay mines.
The strait’s closure has driven up the price of oil, but there’s another vulnerability threatening Hawaiʻi’s energy concerns: jet fuel.
Hawaiʻi imports around 70% to 80% of the jet fuel it consumes, and according to the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, 95% of the jet fuel imports in 2025 came from South Korea. This year, it’s up to 99%.
To learn more about how South Korea became a key regional oil refiner and how the Iran War is impacting the crude oil the country imports through the Strait of Hormuz, HPR spoke with Jean Lee, Presidential Chair of the East-West Center in Honolulu.