The 20 crew members of the Hanjin Tianjin container vessel. that came close to being hijacked by Somali pirates on Thursday,. are all reportedly in good condition.

The Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff says that, after inspecting the freighter for damage, the ship will return to its planned route towards Singapore, then head to Korea's southeastern port city of Busan.

Meanwhile, Korea's Cheonghae Unit, which protects international vessels from piracy in the Gulf of Aden, found three AK-47 rifle bullets and bare footprints inside the captain's bridge, adding weight to speculation that the pirates failed their attempt to kidnap the crew. There is also evidence that the pirates attempted to take control of the ship's communication equipment.

The 14 Koreans and six Indonesians are believed to have escaped the pirates' attack by quickly finding refuge inside the vessel's emergency shelter, or citadel.