A pirate [Getty Images Bank]
A pirate [Getty Images Bank]

Global piracy incidents fell sharply in the first half of this year, but attacks in the waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden tripled, with 63 crew members temporarily detained in ship seizures in the region, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Monday.

The ministry released its analysis of global piracy trends for the first half of this year through the Korea Maritime Safety Information System.

Worldwide piracy incidents totaled 38 in the first half, down about 60 percent from 90 cases in the same period last year. The figure had risen from 58 cases in 2022 to 65 in 2023, then 60 in 2024 and 90 last year, before reversing course this year.

Despite the overall decline, the number of crew members harmed edged up to 70 from 67 in the first half of last year. No South Korean nationals or vessels were among those affected.

The surge in the Somalia and Gulf of Aden region was particularly stark: incidents tripled from three in the first half of last year to nine this year. Crew casualties there reached 63, accounting for 90 percent of all victims worldwide.

Ship seizures — cases in which pirates took full control of a vessel — numbered five, similar to the four recorded in the same period last year. All five, however, occurred in the Somalia and Gulf of Aden region, and 63 crew members were temporarily detained in the process.

The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and foreign media have cited the dispersal of allied naval forces due to the war between the United States, Israel and Iran as one factor behind the rise in piracy in the region. The analysis suggests that the concentration of naval assets in Middle East conflict zones may have created gaps in maritime security patrols around Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.

The ministry urged vessels operating in the Somalia and Gulf of Aden region to heighten their alert posture and strictly implement anti-piracy precautions.

Since 2024, the ministry has also operated a "Piracy Risk Index" service through the Korea Maritime Safety Information System. The service quantifies piracy risk across seven global maritime zones on a four-tier scale — very high, high, moderate and low — along with a special danger alert, and provides shipping companies and vessels with the latest information on incident locations and types of attacks.

"Piracy incidents in the Somalia and Gulf of Aden region have increased noticeably, so vessels navigating the area must exercise particular caution," said Jeong Do-hyeon, director general of the ministry's Maritime Safety Bureau. "We will provide the latest piracy information promptly to prevent harm to our ships and seafarers."


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