This photo, provided by the Navy, shows troops taking part in anti-piracy drills in waters off Geoje Island, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 1, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, August 1 (Korea Bizwire) — The Navy held anti-piracy drills with government officials and a local shipping company Friday ahead of a regular rotation of anti-piracy troops in waters off Somalia, officials said.
The drills took place in waters off Geoje Island, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, joined by officials from the foreign and oceans ministries and a shipping firm, as the anti-piracy Cheonghae unit’s next contingent is set to be deployed later this month, the Navy said.
The drills aimed to train participants in sharing information and assessing interagency coordination in the event of a piracy incident off the coast of Somalia. It was also designed to enhance the Cheonghae unit’s capability to rescue South Korean nationals.
Piracy cases near Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden rose sharply to eight in 2024 from just one in 2023. The number of kidnappings from vessels also increased from one to three over the same period.
South Korea established the anti-piracy unit in 2009, with the joint anti-piracy exercise first taking place in 2011.
(Yonhap)
