S. Korean ship seized by Indonesian Navy for violating territorial waters

S. Korean ship seized by Indonesian Navy for violating territorial waters
February 11, 2020 https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200211006300325

JAKARTA/SEJONG, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier with two South Koreans and a dozen other crewmembers aboard has been seized by the Indonesian Navy on suspicion of violating territorial waters, Seoul officials said Tuesday.

The seizure, the third of its kind involving South Koreans since October, occurred Saturday after the South Korean-flagged tanker, the NO. 7 SJ GAS, cast its anchor in waters near Bintan Island of the Southeast Asian country.

Aboard the ship were two South Koreans -- the captain and a crew member -- as well as six Indonesians and six Myanmarese. The tanker is currently docked near a naval base in waters between Bintan Island and Batam Island.

"Since we learned of the seizure, we have been contracting relevant people and monitoring the situation," an official at Seoul's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said. "We are exploring a way to prevent a repeat of such an incident."

The latest seizure came after the Indonesian authorities captured the Panama-flagged LPG carrier, named the DL Lily, on Oct. 9 and a South Korean cargo ship, the CH Bella, on Jan. 11, both on the same charges.

The DL Lily was released on Jan. 17, 100 days after its seizure, while the CH Bella is still being held in Indonesia.