Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan apologized Friday for little progress in the government's efforts to free four South Korean seamen taken captive by Somali pirates since April last year.
The four Koreans, who were among 25 crew on board the 21,000-ton vessel MT Gemini, operated by Singapore-based Glory Ship Management, have been held captive by the pirates for 525 days as of Friday. Somali pirates hijacked the vessel on its way to Kenya from Malaysia.
"I am sorry for no results in efforts" to release the Korean seamen, Kim told lawmakers during an annual parliamentary audit session where the minister was grilled over what some lawmakers call an "ineptness" in handling the case.
Kim maintained the government's policy of not negotiating with pirates, but said his ministry is making every effort to secure their safe release.
"When I attended the U.N. meeting last month in New York, I met the Somali prime minister and again asked him to cooperate to free them," Kim said.
Last December, the pirates freed the vessel, but broke an agreement to release all its crew, keeping the four Koreans captive, while releasing the other 21 non-Korean crew.
During the session, independent lawmaker Moon Dae-sung aired video footage showing a relative of one of the four Koreans, who asked the government to plead for the life of his kin.
"I expect nothing but the safe return of my kin," the man in the video said in a teary voice. "Please, save the life of my kin." (Yonhap)