A South Korean-owned oil tanker with 24 crew is reportedly hijacked by suspected Somali pirates southeast of Gulf of Aden, foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The 300,000-tonne Samho Dream was en route to Louisiana , USA from Iraq when it was attacked and subsequently seized at around 0710 GMT some 1,500 km (930 miles) southeast of Gulf of Aden, Seoul 's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The crew consist of 19 Filipinos and five South Koreans, it adds.
The tanker is registered with Marshal Islands but owned by South Korea 's Samho Shipping.
The ministry says a South Korean naval frigate patrolling the waters was contacted by the ship after it was hijacked before the communication went dead.
A total of about 25 ships and over 350 crew are currently held by pirates off Somali coast waiting for ransom to be paid.