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Urging Safe Navigation for Korean Vessels to cope with “surge in piracy incidents in Gulf of Aden and Somalia”
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2026.08.13.
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Urging Safe Navigation for Korean Vessels to cope with “surge in piracy incidents in Gulf of Aden and Somalia”
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced on Monday, August 3 that it would be disclosing the analysis results of the global piracy incident trend in the first half of 2026 on the Integrated Maritime Safety Information System (GICOMS) website* to support the safe navigation of vessels.
* https://www.gicoms.go.kr → Pirate Information → Pirate Trends and Notices
According to the analysis, the number of piracy incidents worldwide decreased by about 60% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year (90→38 cases); the number of persons affected on board remained similar (67→70 people), with no damage sustained by Koreans or Korean vessels.
* Piracy incidents in the first half of the year (cases): (2022) 58 → (2023) 65 → (2024) 60 → (2025) 90 → (2026) 38
** Number of persons affected on board in the first half of the year (persons): (2022) 28 → (2023) 56 → (2024) 98 → (2025) 67 → (2026) 70
In the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, however, piracy incidents are surging with the number increasing threefold (from 3 to 9) compared to the same period last year and 63 persons on board were affected, accounting for 90% of the total. In this regard, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and foreign media cited the dispersion of coalition naval forces to conflict zones in the Middle East following the conflict involving the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other as one of the causes of the increase in piracy in the area.
* BIMCO: Provides various kinds of information on global maritime security threats to stakeholders in the global shipping industry (shipowners, charterers, managers, etc.).
Similar to the 4 incidents in the same period of the previous year, there were 5 ship hijacking incidents but all occurred in the waters off Somalia and Gulf of Aden with 63 people on board temporarily detained during the hijacking. Accordingly, MOF urged the exercise of special vigilance and implementation of measures to prevent piracy damage when operating in the relevant waters.
MOF has been operating the Piracy Risk Index* service since 2024 through the website of the Integrated Marine Safety Information System, providing shipping companies and vessels with detailed information on recent piracy incidents including locations, summaries, and types of damage to support prompt response and ensure safety.
* An index that quantifies the risk of piracy in seven global sea regions where piracy occurs, classified into four levels (Very High-High-Moderate-Low) and a Special Risk Alert based on the risk of damage.
“As piracy incidents in the waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden have increased significantly, I urge vessels navigating this region to ensure safe navigation. We will continue striving to prevent damage to Korean ships and crew by promptly providing the latest information including the status of various piracy incidents,” said Jeong Do-hyeon, Director General of Maritime Safety at MOF.
- Announcement of the global piracy incident trend in the first half of 2026
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF; Minister Hwang Jong-woo) announced on Monday, August 3 that it would be disclosing the analysis results of the global piracy incident trend in the first half of 2026 on the Integrated Maritime Safety Information System (GICOMS) website* to support the safe navigation of vessels.
* https://www.gicoms.go.kr → Pirate Information → Pirate Trends and Notices
According to the analysis, the number of piracy incidents worldwide decreased by about 60% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year (90→38 cases); the number of persons affected on board remained similar (67→70 people), with no damage sustained by Koreans or Korean vessels.
* Piracy incidents in the first half of the year (cases): (2022) 58 → (2023) 65 → (2024) 60 → (2025) 90 → (2026) 38
** Number of persons affected on board in the first half of the year (persons): (2022) 28 → (2023) 56 → (2024) 98 → (2025) 67 → (2026) 70
In the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, however, piracy incidents are surging with the number increasing threefold (from 3 to 9) compared to the same period last year and 63 persons on board were affected, accounting for 90% of the total. In this regard, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and foreign media cited the dispersion of coalition naval forces to conflict zones in the Middle East following the conflict involving the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other as one of the causes of the increase in piracy in the area.
* BIMCO: Provides various kinds of information on global maritime security threats to stakeholders in the global shipping industry (shipowners, charterers, managers, etc.).
Similar to the 4 incidents in the same period of the previous year, there were 5 ship hijacking incidents but all occurred in the waters off Somalia and Gulf of Aden with 63 people on board temporarily detained during the hijacking. Accordingly, MOF urged the exercise of special vigilance and implementation of measures to prevent piracy damage when operating in the relevant waters.
MOF has been operating the Piracy Risk Index* service since 2024 through the website of the Integrated Marine Safety Information System, providing shipping companies and vessels with detailed information on recent piracy incidents including locations, summaries, and types of damage to support prompt response and ensure safety.
* An index that quantifies the risk of piracy in seven global sea regions where piracy occurs, classified into four levels (Very High-High-Moderate-Low) and a Special Risk Alert based on the risk of damage.
“As piracy incidents in the waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden have increased significantly, I urge vessels navigating this region to ensure safe navigation. We will continue striving to prevent damage to Korean ships and crew by promptly providing the latest information including the status of various piracy incidents,” said Jeong Do-hyeon, Director General of Maritime Safety at MOF.
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