Somali militia holding a South Korean trawler and a 25-man crew they accuse of fishing illegally said on Thursday the boat's release was being negotiated with Seoul, Reuters Reported. But a local militia spokesman, reached in remote northern Somalia by telephone from Nairobi, would not confirm a regional maritime official's report that they were seeking a $400,000 payment for the ship. "We are yet to agree on money," said the spokesman from a coastal village near where the ship was being held. "Talks between us, the South Korean government and the company are going on and I am optimistic they will end well," he said. The spokesman asked for his name not to be used but his identity was verified by maritime sources. The crew of the 361-tonne fishing vessel 628 Dongwon-ho includes nine Indonesians, eight South Koreans, five Vietnamese and three Chinese, according to South Korea. It says the vessel was seized on April 4 by eight armed assailants in two speedboats, the latest in a string of hijacks in lawless Somalia's notoriously dangerous offshore waters. --More 22 36 Local Time 19 36 GMT
