ing ▁Norwegian ▁invest ors ▁under ▁its ▁char ter ▁even ▁while ▁the ▁vessel ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁pir ates . ▁However , ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁government ▁had ▁no ▁military ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁E ight ▁South ▁Kore ans , ▁eleven ▁Bur m ese , ▁and ▁two ▁Indones ians ▁were ▁among ▁the ▁ 2 1 ▁crew members ▁being ▁held ▁host age . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 6 , ▁South ▁Korean ▁president ▁Lee ▁My ung - b ak ▁issued ▁an ▁order ▁to ▁" com pre hens ively ▁deal ▁with " ▁the ▁crisis . ▁The ▁▁ ▁was ▁dispatch ed ▁under ▁Captain ▁Cho ▁Young - jo o , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Che ong ha e ▁Anti - pi racy ▁Unit . ▁The ▁unit ▁included ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Korea ▁Navy ▁Special ▁War fare ▁Fl ot illa . ▁The ▁ 3 0 ▁command os ▁ab o ard ▁Ch oi ▁Young ▁could ▁be ▁deployed ▁with ▁several ▁small ▁boats ▁and ▁a ▁West land ▁Super ▁Lyn x ▁hel ic opter . ▁Additionally , ▁war ships ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁O man i ▁nav ies ▁were ▁nearby . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁pir ates ▁were ▁out number ed ▁with ▁only ▁ 1 7 ▁men ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁tank er . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁out g unn ed ▁by ▁the ▁Kore ans , ▁possess ing ▁only ▁assault ▁rif les ▁and ▁ro cket ▁prop elled ▁gr en ades . ▁ ▁Eng ag ements ▁Once ▁Ch oi ▁Young ▁caught ▁up ▁with ▁Sam ho ▁Jew el ry , ▁it ▁purs ued