A South Korean fishing vessel, freed by Somali pirates after four months of captivity, is expected to arrive at a Kenyan port this week en route to South Korea, a government official here said Sunday.

   "The ship, Keummi 305, is currently passing through international waters at 8-knot average speed after receiving fuel supply from a Finnish warship belonging to a fleet of the European Union," the foreign ministry official said on the condition of anonymity. "It seems likely to arrive at the Mombasa port tomorrow as expected."

   The government has dispatched two officials -- one from the foreign ministry and the other from the fishery ministry -- to Kenya for consultations with the local authorities and procedures associated with the return of the 241-ton trawler and its 43 crew members, including two South Koreans.

   The ship was seized in October last year and all the crew, which also include two Chinese and 39 Kenyans, were freed last week unharmed. They were reportedly released without a ransom, as pirates did not want to indefinitely feed the hostages amid slim chances of receiving money from the bankrupt owner of the ship.

(Yonhap News)