All of the 21 crewmembers of a South Korean freighter seized by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean last Saturday were safely rescued by South Korean anti-piracy troops, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.

The South Korean captain of the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry suffered abdominal injuries, but was not in critical condition, the JSC said. Eight pirates were shot dead and five others captured during the rescue operation.

South Korean troops of the Underwater Demolition Team suffered no casualties during the rescue operation.

The freighter was carrying eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 Myanmarese when it was captured by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea between Oman and India en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates.

It is the first time for South Korea to conduct a military rescue operation against Somali pirates. The 11,500-ton freighter was the eighth vessel carrying South Koreans to be captured by Somali pirates since a South Korean fishing vessel was captured in 2006.

Some 20 South Korean troops belonging to the anti-piracy Cheonghae unit took part in the rescue operation. The unit was deployed in March 2009 to join an international anti-piracy campaign in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast.

“The military operation showed our strong resolve not to tolerate any illegal activities by pirates targeting South Korean vessels. This is a feat that recognizes our excellent operational capabilities,” said the JCS in a press release.

President Lee Myung-bak praised the South Korean troops for the successful rescue operation.

“Our military conducted a perfect operation under any circumstances. I praise and encourage them (for the successful operation),” said Lee during his speech at Cheong Wa Dae.

Apparently to avoid leaving another “bad precedent,” the Seoul government had taken a tough stance, vowing not to negotiate with pirates and pay them any ransom.

Some critics here have argued that pirates have been emboldened and continued targeting South Korean vessels since the Samho Dream, a South Korean oil tanker seized last April and released 217 days later, was ransomed for $9.5 million -- the largest known payment following negotiations with Somali pirates.

The Cheonghae unit also suffered minor injuries in a shootout with Somali pirates on Tuesday.

Three South Korean soldiers who were deployed to the scene of the seizure were injured after they and pirates exchanged fire as the pirates were trying to seize another vessel which was Mongolian-administered.

None of them were in critical condition, officials said. During the firefight, at least six pirates died after a Lynx helicopter of the Cheonghae unit fired shots at them.

Of all the vessels carrying South Koreans to be captured by Somali pirates, the Geummi 305, a fishing vessel seized on Oct. 9, is the only one that is still being held captive. All the others except for the Samho Jewelry were released with ransom payments.

It has been increasingly challenging to crack down on Somali pirates as their methods have evolved and they have employed clever hijacking methods. They have new speed boats, GPS-equipped phones and an array of weapons including rifles and even anti-tank rockets.

According to data from the One Earth Future Foundation, a private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace through governance, over the past five years the amount of ransom paid to Somali pirates had increased from an average of $150,000 in 2005 to $5.4 million in 2010. At the end of 2010, approximately $238 million had been paid in ransom to Somali pirates in that year alone.

As of December, at least 27 vessels and more than 600 people are known to be held by Somali pirates.

As of December, 28 vessels and 638 people are being held by Somali pirates, data from the International Maritime Bureau showed.

The hijackers have also been emboldened by the absence of a functioning central government in their country, leaving them with no fear of punishment.

Somalia, with 3,219 kilometers of coastline along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, has been in a state of civil war for two decades and has not had a functioning central administration since Dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991.

A U.S.-led military intervention aimed at restoring order in Somalia began in December 1992. However, the efforts failed and international forces pulled out in 1995 due to the growing danger to troops.

By Song Sang-ho 
(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)