( LEAD ) S . Korean kidnapped by pirates off Gabon released : foreign ministry ( ATTN : ADDS more details in paras 3 , 5 - 7 ) SEOUL , June 9 ( Yonhap ) -- A South Korean national kidnapped off the coast of Gabon last month has been released unharmed , Seoul ' s foreign ministry said Tuesday . The man in his 50 s was among six crew members abducted after unidentified pirates attacked their fishing boats near the Gabonese capital of Libreville in West Africa in early May . He was freed on Monday evening ( Gabon time ) , along with the five others of Indonesian and Senegalese nationalities , and they are all in good health , the ministry said . The South Korean remains in a secure place offered by the South Korean mission in Nigeria and will return home as soon as a flight is arranged , the ministry added . His family has also been informed of his release . " We are fortunate that the kidnapping incident was resolved safely , especially thanks to the family who has trusted and supported the government and the shipping company with strong patience , " a ministry official said . A total of 18 crewmen had been aboard two ships when the pirates attacked them and forced the vessels to travel further north to Corisco , an island that belongs to Equatorial Guinea . The pirates then took off on a speedboat with only the six of them while releasing the rest . The ministry had been working with the governments of other countries , such as France and the United States , to track down the kidnappers and locate their whereabouts . elly @ yna . co . kr ( END )