Qa'dah 09, 1431, Oct 17, SPA -- Somali pirates have hijacked a South Korean-operated fishing boat with 43 sailors, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Two South Korean, two Chinese and 39 Kenyans were aboard the 241-ton Kenya-registered trawler when it was attacked Oct. 9 in the waters off Kenya's Lamu Island, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press. It wasn't immediately known if negotiations with the pirates had begun or if they were demanding a ransom. South Korean officials declined to provide details about the kidnapping, saying that might undermine chances for the fishermen's safe release.
