A South Korean oil tanker hijacked Sunday by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean is reportedly close to entering the hijackers’ Hobyo base 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

The South Korean “Yi Sun-sin” destroyer, which started pursuing the pirates shortly after the “Samho Dream” tanker was hijacked, caught up with the crude oil ship on Tuesday and is closely monitoring the situation.

The Yi Sun-sin has reportedly confirmed the safety of the five South Koreans aboard the 300-thousand-ton tanker.

The pirates are likely to seek negotiations once they cast anchor in waters near their headquarters.

Currently, a negotiation channel with the pirates has been opened, but the hijackers have yet to make any demands.

The government plans to refrain from issuing details or announcements regarding negotiations or rescue plans due to concerns that such actions could jeopardize the safety of the hostages.