In January 2008, the
Samho Jewelry was placed under inspection in
Mumbai by the
International Transport Workers' Federation for labor issues related to
flag of convenience practices. Investigators found that Burmese, Croatian, Polish and Russian crewmembers were being paid less than ITF minimum wages and directed the owners of the vessel to sign a wage agreement with the
Korean Seafarers' Union. In 2010, a record $9.5 million ransom was paid to Somali pirates for the release of the
Samho Dream, another vessel operated by the Samho Shipping Company. The crew of eight South Koreans, 11 Burmese and two Indonesians were held as hostages. The South Korean
destroyer was dispatched to the area to launch the operation, dubbed "
Dawn of Gulf of Aden", at 9:58 am
Korea Standard Time on January 21, 2011.
ROK Navy commandos used a speed boat and ladders to climb aboard while a
Westland Lynx helicopter and the destroyer provided covering fire. Once on board, the commandos fought a five-hour battle, going compartment to compartment in search of pirates. The pirates were found all over the ship, including in the board, pontoon and engine room. All 21 crew members were freed, though Seok, the captain, survived multiple gunshot wounds at close range by a pirate who was believed to be the leader. Seok had executed a risky plan to mix water into the ship's engine oil to disrupt its propulsion and slow it down. Eight pirates were killed in the raid and five captured alive. The South Korean government had been heavily criticized by citizens for a weak response to North Korean attacks in the past year including the
ROKS Cheonan sinking and the
Yeonpyeong bombing. Seok has been called a hero for his actions during the hijacking. The five captured pirates were flown to
Seoul on January 29, and arrived in
Busan on the next day for their upcoming trial. The defendants face charges of maritime robbery, attempted murder and ship hijacking. The shooter would have been eligible for the death penalty if Seok had died. On February 2, the crew of the
Samho Jewelry arrived at
Gimhae International Airport in Busan, recounting that they had been violently beaten by the pirates and threatened with death. Chief engineer Chung Mann-Ki revealed that the crew had secretly sabotaged the tanker's systems, including the
rudder, in an effort to thwart the pirates. Most of the crew members had been on the bridge when the commandos stormed the ship. In response to the rescue operation, other pirates in Somalia claimed that they will kill any future Korean hostages and may have moved other Korean hostages off existing hijacked ships to inland locations. ==See also==