The Associated Press says Somali pirates holding South Koreans in a hijacked tanker are demanding the release of the five Somali pirates who are currently on trial for hijacking the South Korean freighter “Samho Jewerly.”

The AP reported that the Somali pirates are demanding a ransom for the four South Koreans who were kidnapped when the freighter “MT Gemini” was hijacked in late April. The pirates are also calling for compensation of the eight pirates who were killed during the rescue operation of the Samho Jewelry and the release of the pirates on trial.

The report said South Korean government officials declined to comment on the issue. However, Yonhap news quoted an official saying that South Korea will not negotiate with pirates or release the pirates on trial. The official added that the pirates should negotiate with the Singaporean shipping company, as the ship is registered in Singapore.

Experts say hijackers’ intent is to make a case for the exchange of the South Korean sailors and Somali pirates in order to make their negotiating terms harder to turn down and to get a bigger ransom.

The "MT Gemini" was carrying over 28-thousand metric tons of palm oil from Indonesia to Mombasa, Kenya when it was hijacked by pirates in waters near Kenya.