Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Pirates release Korean man they kidnapped off Gabon
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul / Korea Times file
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Yonhap
A Korean citizen kidnapped off the coast of Gabon last month has been released unharmed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the man in his 50s, whose identity is being withheld, was among six crew members released Monday evening (Gabon time) by pirates.
The other five are Indonesian and Senegalese citizens and appear to be in good health, the ministry said.
The man remains in a “secure place” offered by the ministry in Nigeria, an official said. After having a medical checkup at a local hospital, he is expected to return to Korea soon.
The pirates attacked their fishing boats and abducted the men in the early hours of May 3 near the Gabonese capital of Libreville in West Africa.
It is unclear whether the pirates received the ransom they demanded before releasing the six.