Hijacking of North Korean Ship

Date: October 29, 2007 • Location: Mogadishu, Somalia

Somali pirates hijacked a North Korean ship in the Indian Ocean northeast of Mogadishu.

On the evening of 29 October 2007, seven Somali pirates hijacked the North Korean cargo ship MV Dai Hong Dan (Korean: 대홍단호) in the Indian Ocean, approximately 110 kilometres northeast of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The Dai Hong Dan, with a crew of 22 sailors, had departed Mogadishu earlier that day after unloading a shipment of sugar with the help of locals, including the pirates. The pirates gained permission to board the ship under the pretense of being Somali security personnel. They subsequently confined the crew to the steering and engine rooms at gunpoint and demanded a ransom of US$15,000 for their release.