The government raised Wednesday the alert over a possible disruption in crude oil supply by a notch to Level 2 as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East persist. The alert was raised to the second lowest tier, or yellow, in Korea's four-tier national resource security crisis warning system, as of 3 p.m., according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The decision was made as escalating tensions among major oil producers in the Middle East, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and price hikes in global oil prices were expected to strain the supply of oil in Korea. Korea had issued the lowest alert of Level 1 earlier this month, about a week after the U.S. and Israel-led war in Iran broke out. Under the Level 2 alert, the government will strengthen its supply and demand control measures for oil by exercising priority purchase rights to jointly held international petroleum reserves and securing alternative oil supplies that do not pass through the strait. Earlier in the day, Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff, said Korea has secured a pledge from the United Ar