ROK warship rescues DPRK vessel off Somalia

SEOUL: A Republic of Korea (ROK) navy warship warned Somali pirates away from a freighter of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) yesterday by threatening to open fire, the ROK's military said.

The ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the 4,500-ton-class warship sent a Lynx helicopter to assist the DPRK vessel earlier in the day after receiving a distress call that it was being chased by the pirate ship.

The pirate ship gave up chasing the DPRK vessel and sped away shortly after snipers aboard the helicopter prepared to fire warning shots at it, the statement said.