By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
A South Korean cargo ship has been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, government officials said Wednesday.
Eight South Koreans and some other foreign sailors were aboard the vessel seized at around 4 p.m. (Seoul time), said the officials.
They declined to reveal how many foreigners were aboard the ship and whether negotiations with the kidnappers were underway for their release.
Waters off the African country are among the world's most dangerous, with pirates often demanding hefty ransoms for hostages.
Korean boats have suffered a series of hijackings along the dangerous Somali coast in recent years. Eight crewmembers of two Dongwon Fisheries tuna ships were released in 2006 for a ransom of $800,000 after being held hostage for four months by Somali pirates.
Two fishing boats of Korea's Daechang Fishing were hijacked in May last year, and their 25 crewmembers released six months later.