A Singapore-flagged vessel is believed to have been hijacked by pirates in waters near Kenya on Saturday. Four South Koreans are among the 25 crew members of the 21-thousand ton chemical freighter, “MT Gemini."

Glory Ship Management, the owner of the “MT Gemini,” said Sunday that suspected pirates are believed to have boarded the ship while the tanker was passing through Kenyan waters on Saturday. The shipper added that it is making every effort to secure the release of the crew, including four South Koreans, 13 Indonesians, five Chinese and three from Myanmar. One of the four South Koreans is the captain of the ship.

The tanker’s owner said the ship is likely to be headed toward Somalia.

The "MT Gemini" was carrying over 28-thousand metric tons of palm oil from Indonesia to Mombasa, Kenya.

A government official in Seoul said that it is unlikely that South Korea's Cheonghae Unit will carry out a rescue operation as the ship is registered in Singapore. The official also added that there is no naval vessel from Singapore operating in the Gulf of Aden. He said that the owner of the ship and the South Korean Embassy in Singapore will jointly launch a negotiation.