Three South Koreans missing from a fishing vessel hijacked in waters off Ghana have yet to be found despite the aid of a Korean navy boat.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the incident happened on 26 March and that while driving the fishing boat to waters off Nigeria on 27 March the "kidnappers" transferred the three Koreans and other sailors to a speedboat and escaped.
The Ministry stated: “The government of the Republic of Korea is doing its best to find out the whereabouts of the three Koreans.”
It added that the location of the speedboat was unknown, but the Republic of Korea (ROK) Cheonghae Unit vessel Munmu the Great, stationed in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast to support the safe operations of Korean vessels, was dispatched on 28 March with the aim of ensuring the Korean crew members’ safety and supporting their release.
The Ministry said the ROK government has been working to locate the whereabouts of the three Koreans and ensure their safe return in close cooperation with Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin and other African countries, as well as the ROK’s allies, including the US and the EU.
It added: “The ROK government will make every possible effort to ensure the Koreans’ safe return home, working together to the maximum extent with the African countries and allies, and maintaining an emergency operation mode.”
