Somali pirates charged in Korea

Five suspected Somali pirates captured in a commando raid that freed a South Korean ship have arrived in Busan where courts have issued warrants on charges of maritime robbery and attempted murder.

South Korea's navy rescued all 21 crew members aboard the hijacked South Korean chemical ship, Samho Jewelry, on January 21.

The captain of the 11,500-tonne Samho Jewelry was shot and wounded by pirates during the rescue mission. Five suspected pirates were captured, and eight were killed.

The suspects arrived early on Sunday morning aboard a royal jet belonging to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and were taken to a local court where they denied almost all allegations, Yonhap reported, citing court officials.

On Saturday night, the captain of the ship, 58-year-old Seok Hae-kyun was flown into an airbase south of Seoul where he was then transported to Ajou University Hospital in Suwon for treatment for at least three gunshot wounds, said Yonhap.

The vessel, en route to Sri Lanka from the UAE, was seized on January 15 with a crew of eight Koreans, 11 Myanmar nationals and two Indonesians.