MV Samho Jewelry
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Samho Jewelry |
| Owner: | Acta Group, Norway |
| Operator: | Samho Shipping Company, South Korea |
| Port of registry: | Valletta, Malta |
| Route: | United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka |
| Completed: | 2001 |
| Identification: |
|
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 11,566 GT |
| Length: | 145.5 m (477 ft 4 in) |
| Beam: | 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in) |
| Draught: | 13.35 m (43 ft 10 in) |
| Draft: | 9.71 m (31 ft 10 in) |
| Crew: | 21 (January 2011) |
MV Samho Jewelry (Hangul: 삼호 주얼리) is a Norwegian-owned and South Korean-operated chemical tanker. She was hijacked by Somali pirates on January 15, 2011 and rescued six days later by South Korean Navy commandos.
Built in 2001, the Samho Jewelry has a gross tonnage of 11,566 GT. She is 145.5 metres (477 ft) long, has a beam of 23.7 metres (78 ft) and a draft of 9.7 metres (32 ft). Owned by 2,500 investors represented by the Acta Group in Norway, the ship is registered in the port of Valletta, Malta and operated by the Samho Shipping Company of Busan, South Korea.
In January 2008, the Samho Jewelry was placed under inspection in Mumbai by the International Transport Workers' Federation for labor issues related to flag of convenience practices. Investigators found that Burmese, Croatian, Polish and Russian crewmembers were being paid less than ITF minimum wages and directed the owners of the vessel to sign a wage agreement with the Korean Seafarers' Union. In 2010, a record $9.5 million ransom was paid to Somali pirates for the release of the Samho Dream, another vessel operated by the Samho Shipping Company.
The Samho Jewelry was traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka when it was captured off the Somali coast by pirates on January 15, 2011. Tanker captain Seok Hae-gyun changed the ship's course to keep in international waters as long as possible. The crew of eight South Koreans, 11 Burmese and two Indonesians were held as hostages. The Norwegian government had been criticized for not being part of the anti-piracy effort and had no military presence in the area at the time. The Samho Shipping Company was facing huge losses because it was obliged to continue paying Acta under its charter even while the vessel was held by pirates. Though Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance and Green Insurance had insured the ship for up to $45 million, their reinsurance policy through the Korean Reinsurance company would not cover "war risk".
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