Armed gunmen have hijacked a cargo ship carrying 23 crew off the coast of Somalia, a regional maritime official confirmed here Sunday.
Andrew Mwangurea, the coordinator of the East Africa Seafarers Association, said the Japanese freighter, whose crewmen include five South Koreans, was hijacked by an armed group in waters off Somalia late on Saturday.
"The cargo ship was hijacked on Saturday afternoon with five Koreans onboard. I have not established where the vessel was sailing to and from which country and other nationalities of the crew members," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.
But news reports said the 20,000-ton-class ship Chemstar Venus, owned by a Japanese shipping company and registered in Panama, was seized by gunmen Saturday.
The ship Chemstar Venus includes five South Koreans and 18 Filipinos and was carrying unidentified chemicals, said a statement from the Korean foreign ministry.
The latest hijacking came as the Korean government plans to send a warship to Somali waters to combat piracy there.
Eight South Koreans were abducted in September after their freighter was seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The sailors were released unharmed after more than a month of captivity.
The mission to send a 4,500-ton destroyer loaded with SM-2 Block IIIA missiles and other cutting-edge weaponry as well as the Navy's Special Forces is expected to cost about 4.3 million U.S. dollars.
The U.N. Security Council approved a new resolution in October designed to step up the fight against piracy off Somalia.
It calls for all states to actively contribute to anti-piracy efforts in Somali waters, including the dispatch of warships and warplanes in order to stop pirates.