Somali pirates are demanding $400 000 for the release of a South Korean fishing vessel seized with a crew of 25 Asians this week off the coast of the lawless nation, elders said on Friday. Village elders — the traditional power base of rural Somalia — in the area near where the ship is being held said the gunmen who commandeered the vessel were seeking payment of a “fine” for illegal fishing and not a ransom. “This is not a vessel that brought humanitarian aid to Somalia, it is not a commercial ship passing through international waters,” said one elder taking part in negotiations to free the Dong Won 628 and its crew. Full Story