But Seoul's Foreign Ministry says it hasn't yet heard from the 25 crew members on board the MT Gemini or their suspected kidnappers.
The vessel's operator, Glory Ship Management, will lead negotiations with the pirates for the release of the ship and crew and the Korean government, meanwhile, has set up emergency response teams here in Seoul, and in Singapore and Kenya.
At the time of the attack, the ship was en route from Indonesia to Kenya carrying 28-thousand tons of crude palm oil.