Samho captain in ‘serious condition’

Korea may send military aircraft to bring in five captured pirates for trial


The captain of the Korean freighter rescued from Somali pirates last Friday was in a “serious condition,” according to a Korean doctor dispatched to Oman where he is being treated.

On Wednesday, Seok Hae-gyun, the 58-year-old captain of the Samho Jewelry freighter, underwent the second surgical procedure for the abdominal gunshot wounds he suffered during Korean troops’ rescue operation in the Indian Ocean.

The unprecedented mission, which killed eight pirates and captured five others alive, rescued all 21 crew members of the 11,500-ton chemical freighter, which was seized by the Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 15.

Following the rescue, Seok was taken to a hospital in Oman and had surgery. He was given sedatives after the surgery and has been unconscious since. Other crewmembers suffered no serious injuries.

“Due to the gunshot wounds in many parts of his stomach, his internal organs were damaged and there are inflammations. There are also both open and closed bone fractures,” said Lee Guk-jong, one of the three Korean medical staffers who arrived in Oman on Wednesday.

“Patients in a serious condition like Seo could seriously deteriorate all of a sudden. Such patients suffering from serious external wounds may need additional surgical procedures.”

He said that he would try hard to slow the rate at which Seok’s condition is deteriorating, allowing a chance for a “rebound“, noting that it was difficult to determine when the patient would be able to be transported back to Korea, given his fluctuating conditions.

The doctor added that the level of Omani medical staff was not bad and they had so far properly carried out medical procedures for Seok.

Seok’s wife and son had also arrived in Oman and were saddened upon learning of their loved one’s worsening health.

President Lee Myung-bak post­ed a message on his Twitter account, wishing Seok a speedy recovery. He also sent a letter to the chief of the Omani hospital, asking him to take good care of Seok.

“Let’s wish the captain Seok a complete recovery with all our hearts. I hope that the captain who has shown what true leadership is can quickly recover,” reads Lee’s message on his twitter account.

Meanwhile, the government is considering using a military transport plane, among other options, to bring the five pirates who were captured alive to Korea, a government source said.

“It is realistically difficult to bring the pirates here on a civilian plane, so we are seeking to use a military transport plane,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

According to the Defense Ministry, the Samho Jewelry freighter, which is being escorted by the Choi Young destroyer, was having difficulty getting approval for entry into a port in the Omani capital of Muscat as the Omani government is reluctant to allow a ship with criminals or pirates onboard into the port.

The Seoul government is seeking to hire an English-speaking interpreter who can also speak Somali to help with interrogations of the five pirates.

“We are considering bringing a foreign interpreter who can handle Somali language and English. For interrogation, another interpreter who can speak both Korean and English will also be hired,” an official at the Foreign Ministry said on condition of anonymity.

Government officials said interrogations would take a long time as the pirates appear to be illiterate. They are expected to be prosecuted in Korea based on the international law and domestic penal code.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)