Seoul: South Korea has successfully secured 273 million barrels of crude oil from four Middle Eastern nations, as announced by presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik on Wednesday. This strategic procurement aims to ensure the country's energy stability by the end of this year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang, who recently completed an eight-day trip to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kazakhstan, also reported the acquisition of 2.1 million tons of naphtha by year-end. These reserves are intended to support South Korea's economy without requiring additional emergency measures for a period exceeding three months, based on last year's consumption levels.