Somali pirates free Asian sailors

A Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks is still being held by pirates

The crew of a South Korean ship hijacked by pirates last month off the coast of Somalia has been freed.

A spokesman for the South Korean foreign ministry refused to say whether a ransom had been paid.

The captives included eight South Koreans and 14 Burmese nationals, all said to be unharmed.

The government in Seoul is considering sending naval vessels to the area, following recent decisions by Nato and the EU to send ships.

The South Korean cargo vessel was hijacked on 10 September and is one of more than a dozen vessels seized off the coast of Somalia, one of the world's busiest waterways.

The freed sailors are being transferred to a US Navy ship in the Gulf of Aden, and are expected to arrive home on 26 October, the South Korean spokesman said.

US warships have surrounded a different ship seized by Somali pirates - the Ukrainian MV Faina, which is carrying 33 tanks.

Pirates are demanding a $20m (£11m) ransom for the release of the MV Faina, which was also seized last month.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia is estimated to have cost up to $30m (£17m) in ransoms so far this year, according to a recent report.

The Nato military alliance has dispatched seven naval vessels to the area. The European Union and the Indian government have also pledged ships for anti-piracy operations.

Somalia has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered continual civil strife, with rival armed clans and groups fighting for control.

Human Rights Watch says Somalia is the most ignored tragedy in the world.