
Seoul/Singapore - Pirates attacked a South Korean-flagged cargo ship in the South China Sea early on Monday, stealing thousands of dollars in cash and even the sailors' shoes, South Korean authorities said.
Two people sustained minor injuries when seven pirates boarded the CK Bluebell and made off with $13,000 and belongings including mobile phones, clothes and shoes from the 22-strong crew, officials from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said.
The incident took place near the Singapore Strait, a busy sea lane that runs past Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Piracy in the strategic shipping route has been less common in recent years due to heavier policing.
The dry bulk vessel CK Bluebell set sail from its anchorage off Singapore late on Saturday afternoon, heading northeast for South Korea's Incheon port, according to Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data.