By Hao Zhou

Five Somali pirates, captured by South Korean naval commandos during a recent rescue operation, arrived in South Korea on Sunday and were formally arrested amid a rise in global, legal efforts to deal with piracy.

The pirates are accused of hijacking the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea on January 15 and of firing at the ship's captain during the rescue operation January 21, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.

The pirates are also accused of firing at South Korean commandos during their first attempt to salvage the hijacked vessel January 18.

The Busan District Court issued arrest warrants for the five pirates on charges of maritime robbery and attempted murder, Yonhap reported.

There is "no problem in terms of legality" to try these five pirates in South Korea's domestic court in line with the principle of general jurisdiction in international laws, said Sun Shiyan, an international law expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "But conviction and penalty measurements will be based on South Korean domestic laws," Sun added. He noted that most pirates caught in international waters are freed soon after because "there is nowhere to try them."

Under South Korean law, the pirates could be sentenced to at least five years in prison for hijacking the ship and could receive life imprisonment or even death for firing at the captain, Yonhap said.

Agencies contributed to this story