(2nd LD) Five S. Koreans aboard Japanese freighter abducted in waters off Somalia

(ATTN: CORRECTS hijack direction to east in 2nd para, ADDS last 3 paras for detail)
SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Yonhap) -- A Japanese freighter, whose crewmen include five South
Koreans, was hijacked by an armed group in waters off Somalia on late Saturday
(Seoul time), South Korea's foreign ministry said Sunday.
The 20,000-ton cargo ship named Chemstar Venus was abducted 96 miles east of the
Gulf of Aden in Somalia at 6:10 p.m., the ministry said.
Of the ship's 23 crewmen, five were South Korean and 18 were Filipino, it added.
"It was not yet learned who the hijackers are and whether the crewmen are safe,"
a ministry official said.
Ships operating in Somali waters often fall prey to pirates. There were 63
reported kidnappings this year as of end of September.
In September, eight South Koreans were abducted after their freighter was seized
by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The sailors were released unharmed after
more than a month of captivity.
Also in 2007, two South Korean fishing vessels were seized by Somali pirates. The
crew was released after six months in captivity. In 2006, a South Korean tuna
ship with 25 crew members was hijacked by Somali pirates. The vessel and its crew
were released for a ransom after four months.
The latest hijacking came as the Korean government plans to send a warship to
Somali waters to combat piracy there. 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 6 billion won (US$4.3
million).
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.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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