Korean sailors on their way to arrive in nearby country Monday: official

Four Korean sailors released by Somali pirates Saturday are on their way to a nearby country after leaving pirate-ridden Somali waters on a South Korean destroyer, a South Korean official said Sunday.

The sailors are due to arrive in the unspecified country early Monday on the South Korean navy vessel that operates in Somali waters as part of a U.S.-led multinational anti-piracy campaign, the official said.

The four were set free more than 19 months after they had been taken hostage by Somali pirates, after an unspecified ransom was paid.

The South Koreans and 21 sailors of other nationalities were aboard the MT Gemini on April 30, 2011, when it was taken under control by Somali pirates. The tanker, operated by Singapore-based Glory Ship Management, was en route from Kenya to Malaysia at the time. The pirates freed the vessel and the 21 non-Korean crew members seven months later, but kept the four Koreans captive.

The destroyer "has left Somali waters and entered international waters," the official said, adding the vessel will arrive in a "safe area early tomorrow morning pending the speed of the boat and weather conditions."

The sailors are to undergo medical checkups before returning home Wednesday or Thursday, the official said. (Yonhap)