Two Nationals Kidnapped off Togo Coast in Africa Released Safely After 51 Days

Two of Our Citizens in Good Health, Scheduled to Return to Ghana... Government Operating 24-Hour Response System
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Urges Restraint in Fishing Activities in Gulf of Guinea, West Africa... Cooperating with International Community to Prevent Further Abductions

Maritime Training for Pirate Suppression

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Two Korean nationals who were kidnapped by a suspected Nigerian pirate group after boarding a fishing vessel operating off the coast of Togo, Africa, on August 28 were safely released on the 17th, 51 days after their abduction.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on that day, the two kidnapped Korean nationals were safely released at around 8:30 p.m. local time in Nigeria on the 16th.

The released nationals are generally in good health and are being protected at a safe location arranged by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nigeria. They plan to return to their original country of residence, Ghana, as soon as a flight is secured according to their wishes.

The government will provide maximum consular assistance through overseas diplomatic missions to ensure the safe return of the released crew members to Ghana. Since the abduction incident, the government has been regularly sharing updates with the families of the kidnapped nationals and arranged for them to communicate with their families immediately after their release.

Upon learning of the abduction, the government immediately established an Overseas Korean Protection Task Force and an on-site response team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, the Embassy in Ghana, and the Embassy in Nigeria, operating a 24-hour response system. The government has maintained close communication with the shipping company based on the principle of prioritizing citizen safety and the principle of no direct negotiations with the kidnappers, while also frequently sharing information with the governments of Ghana and Nigeria, the countries involved in the abduction incident.

The government is seriously aware of the frequent pirate abduction incidents occurring in the waters near the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa and has been closely monitoring the fishing activities of Korean nationals in the area. It has strongly urged restraint from operating in high-risk waters to prevent further abductions. The high-risk waters were designated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on July 3 as areas in West African waters where the incidence of pirate attacks is significantly high, making navigation and fishing considerably dangerous.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "The government will make every effort to establish protective measures for overseas nationals, including revising relevant laws to restrict operations in high-risk waters," and added, "We ask related industries to actively cooperate in refraining from fishing in high-risk waters."

He continued, "We will also focus on bilateral cooperation with coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea and multilateral cooperation through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and others to prevent additional abductions of our nationals, strengthening collaboration with the international community."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.