By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Four Korean sailors were released Sunday after 174 days of captivity in Somalia with their 20 Asian crewmembers and left for Yemen, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Two South Korean fishing boats were seized by Somali pirates off the coast of the African country on May 15, while sailing from Kenya's port of Mombasa to Yemen. The Mavuno 1 and Mavuno 2, owned by Daechang Fishing Co., were manned by four South Koreans and 20 other Asian nationals.
"The sailors, including four South Koreans and 10 Chinese were freed as of 10:00 p.m. (Seoul time) and confirmed to be safe," the ministry said in a statement. "They are moving to Yemen." it said.
It had been reported that an agreement was reached earlier this month between the Korean side and the Somali pirates, and the fishermen could be freed immediately when the ship owner paid a ransom.
The ministry refused to disclose details about the negotiations. ``News reports could have made the abductors think that the Korean government was overly anxious for the fishermen's release and make them raise the ransom demand,'' an official of the ministry's Consular Protection Division said.
It was said the pirates were demanding $1-$1.5 million, however, the ship owner could not afford that amount.