Moon welcomes release of sailors abducted in Africa

President Moon Jae-in welcomed the recent release of three South Korean sailors abducted in African waters over a month earlier, also offering his gratitude to South Korean Navy service members dispatched to the region to help win their release.

In a telephone call to the commander of a South Korean warship dispatched to the area, the president said the dedication and service of the troops were what secured the safe return of the three sailors.

"You, the members of the Cheonghae Unit, have once again demonstrated the value and reason for the existence of our military to the people," the president told Col. Do Jin-woo, commander of the Cheonghae Unit and Munmu the Great, a 4,000-ton destroyer.

"I send my gratitude and encouragement on behalf of our people," Moon added, according to his office Cheong Wa Dae.

The warship, originally stationed in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen, was dispatched to Ghana late last month, shortly after a South Korean fishing boat, the Marine 711, was hijacked by a group of insurgents in waters off the Western African country.

The Ghana-registered fishing boat was said to have some 40 other Ghanaian crew members on board when it was hijacked on March 26 but those from Ghana were released shortly afterward.

After weeks of negotiations, the three South Korean sailors, including the ship's captain, were released last week, relatively unharmed.

In a separate telephone conversation with all three sailors, the president expressed hope for their quick recovery and return to work.

"The government will continue to do its utmost to protect our citizens overseas, including efforts to prevent and minimize damage from pirates," Moon was quoted as saying.

The president also asked if the sailors thought the government could have handled the situation better in any way.

The released sailors said they were surprised to learn the government had sent an entire military unit to win their release, Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release. (Yonhap)