SEOUL - A SOUTH Korean foreign Ministry official says gunmen have hijacked a cargo ship carrying 23 crew including five South Koreans off the coast of Somalia.

The ministry official said the cargo ship was seized by pirates on Saturday. The official declined to give his name citing department policy.

The condition and safety of the crew were not immediately known.

Somalia, which has had no functioning government since 1991, is the world's top piracy hotspot.

Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speed boats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. -- AP