By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
A Japanese freighter with five South Korean crewmen aboard was seized by an unidentified armed group in waters off Somalia late Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Sunday.
The 20,000-ton cargo ship was hijacked 96 miles north off the Gulf of Aden at 6:10 p.m. (KST).
The government activated an emergency team in South Korean embassies in Kenya and Japan, and is making an effort to rescue the crewmembers, a government official said.
This is not the first hijacking in the area notorious for Somali pirates and other militants.
The Korean tuna ship Dongwon with eight Korean sailors aboard was seized by force and released after 117 days in 2006 and the crew of 24 in the fishing boats Mabuno No. 1 and No. 2 were set free after 174 days on captivity last year.
The bulk carrier Bright Ruby whose crewmen included eight South Koreans was also seized on Sept. 10 with the crew released later that month.
Concerns over further hijacking have been rising because nearly 26 percent of the nation's marine cargo passes through the region.
The government sent an inspection team to Somalia earlier this month to decide on whether to dispatch a warship to protect ships sailing in the area.
Currently, the Combined Task Force-150 which comprises of warships from nearly 20 countries including Britain, France and the United States patrols the region to protect ships from pirates.
According to the Reuters last month, the international naval force had stopped more than 12 attacks since May.