S. Korean warship joins multinational forces fighting Somali pirates

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean warship deployed to combat pirates off the Somali coast joined multinational forces at a Bahraini port on Friday after three weeks of sailing, a statement said.

The Munmu the Great destroyer, carrying the 300-strong "Cheonghae" unit, docked
at Mina Salman Port on the northern tip of the island of Bahrain, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul said in a release.
The 4,500-ton destroyer will be prepared for operations in the Gulf of Aden, the
JCS said, and intelligence and operational information will be provided by the
U.S.-led naval command there.
About 460 South Korean vessels travel the gulf each year. Three South Korean
ships have been hijacked over the past several years, according to the South
Korean government.
Over 110 pirate-related incidents occurred in the area in 2008, a five-fold jump
from two years earlier, prompting a number of countries, including Britain,
France and Russia, to send their warships.
The Cheonghae unit, named after a 9th century Korean naval base, consists of the
2004-commissioned destroyer, an anti-submarine helicopter and special maritime
forces.
Somalia has not had a functional government or maritime authorities since its
dictator was dethroned by warlords in 1991.
Poverty has also driven a large number of farmers and fishermen to piracy, and
black market sales of weapons run rampant.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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