By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
A South Korean destroyer caught up with a supertanker hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Tuesday.
The 4,500-ton KDX-II destroyer was keeping its distance from the hijacked vessel for the sake of the crew's safety, a ministry spokesman said.
"At around 1.20 a.m., the destroyer arrived in waters where the Samho Dream was sailing and she is now operating near the tanker," the spokesman told reporters.
The 300,000-ton tanker had been on its way from Iraq to the United States. The ship has a crew of 24 and is laden with crude oil. Its owner said the pirates have yet to make any demands.
The KDX-II warship of the South Korean Navy's Cheonghae Unit was on duty in the Gulf of Aden. She was ordered to close the gap at speed and reached the tanker which is believed to be heading for the Somali coast.
The spokesman said the destroyer would not intercept the ship because any such attempt could put the crew of five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos in danger.
Seoul officials said the government would not engage in any negotiations with the pirates and would leave it to the ship's owner.
The South Korean anti-piracy unit consists of the destroyer and 300 personnel including UDT/SEAL forces. It began operations in Somali waters in April last year to escort the country's cargo ships.
About 500 South Korean cargo ships sail through the piracy-stricken Gulf of Aden every year, and some 150 of them are believed to be vulnerable to hijacking due to their size and speed.
If required, the unit is also supposed to monitor, inspect, stop and seize pirates' vessels as part of the Combined Task Force 151, under the command of the Combined Forces Maritime Component Command based in Bahrain.
The task force is responsible for maritime security from the Red Sea down the east coast of Africa and into the Arabian Sea toward Pakistan and India.
South Korean vessels have been major targets of the pirates in recent years.
A South Korean tuna ship with 25 onboard was hijacked by Somali pirates in April 2006. The ship and its crew were released after four months when a ransom was paid.
In 2007, Somali pirates seized two South Korean vessels and 24 people. The crew was released after six months in captivity.
Pirates also hijacked a South Korean cargo ship with 22 sailors in September 2008, who were released after the ship's owner paid a ransom.
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