Negotiations are reportedly in full swing to free the crew of the hijacked “Samho Dream” between Samho Shipping and Somali pirates.

A diplomatic source said Samho Shipping, which owns the supertanker, has contacted the pirates through a mediator in London.

The source believes the hijackers have demanded a ten-million dollar ransom.

Experts say although negotiations have begun, it will probably take months before an agreement is struck, based on similar cases in the past.

With the launch of negotiations, the government is reportedly mulling withdrawing the Navy destroyer "Yi Sun-sin", which is currently monitoring the pirates near the Somali coast where the tanker is anchored.