▁five ▁captured ; ▁while ▁the ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁tank er ▁was ▁wounded , ▁he ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁surv ive . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁destroy er ▁ ▁also ▁assist ed ▁in ▁the ▁operation ▁by ▁ev acu ating ▁the ▁tank er ' s ▁wounded ▁captain ▁via ▁hel ic opter ▁after ▁the ▁fire f ight ▁had ▁ended . ▁In ▁all , ▁the ▁operation ▁took ▁about ▁five ▁hours ▁to ▁complete . ▁The ▁rescue ▁was ▁called ▁" a ▁perfect ▁military ▁operation " ▁by ▁Lieutenant ▁General ▁Lee ▁S ung - ho , ▁Chief ▁Director ▁for ▁Oper ations ▁of ▁the ▁J oint ▁Chief s ▁of ▁Staff ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Korea . ▁ ▁After math ▁After ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁incident ▁reached ▁South ▁Korea , ▁South ▁Korean ▁President ▁Lee ▁My ung - b ak ▁appeared ▁on ▁television ▁and ▁pra ised ▁the ▁South ▁Korean ▁military ▁for ▁its ▁actions ▁in ▁the ▁operation ▁and ▁issued ▁a ▁warning ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁respond ▁strongly ▁to ▁anyone ▁who ▁threatened ▁the ▁Korean ▁people . ▁The ▁operation ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁huge ▁success ▁by ▁the ▁media , ▁who ▁noted ▁the ▁strong ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁pir ates ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁Korean ▁government ' s ▁response ▁to ▁several ▁North ▁Korean ▁provoc ations ▁that ▁had ▁occurred ▁in ▁previous ▁months ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁bomb ard ment ▁of ▁Ye on py e ong . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁strong ▁show ▁of ▁force ▁by ▁South ▁Korea ▁to ▁the ▁hij ack ing , ▁some ▁Som ali ▁pir ates ▁intended ▁to ▁" se ek ▁reven ge " ▁for ▁the