On January 15, 2011, the Norwegian-owned chemical tanker Samho Jewelry was sailing through the Arabian Sea from the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka when it was attacked by a group of Somali pirates 350 nautical miles (600 km; 400 mi) southeast of the port of Muscat, Oman.

[11] The Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin-class destroyer ROKS Choi Young was dispatched under Captain Cho Young-joo, commander of the Cheonghae Anti-piracy Unit.

[13] The 30 commandos aboard Choi Young could be deployed with several small boats and a Westland Super Lynx[broken anchor] helicopter.

Three rusty AK-47 rifles and an ammunition magazine were retrieved, along with three small iron ladders for boarding and various tools, including a screwdriver, a spanner, and several fishing knives.

[19][20] After this engagement, the South Korean military decided to initiate a boarding operation, as intelligence reports suggested that the remaining captors were exhausted and that additional pirates were being dispatched from Somalia to reinforce them.

[4] The boarding of Samho Jewelry began on January 21 at 04:58 local time and took place at about 700 nautical miles (1,300 km; 800 mi) from Somalia's coast.

[21][22] The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Shoup also assisted in the operation by evacuating the tanker's wounded captain via helicopter after the firefight had ended.

[24] It was announced on January 29 that five pirates captured in the operation had been transported to South Korea, where they were charged with attempted murder and maritime robbery.

[25] After interrogating the captured pirates, the Republic of Korea Coast Guard determined that the leader, Abdi Risqe Shakh, 28, and his lieutenant, Suti Ali Harut, had been killed during one of the two raids.