SOUTH KOREA: Four South Koreans and one Nigerian working for Hyundai Heavy Industries are being held by gunmen in Nigeria, South Korean officials say

Record ID: 235869

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: Four South Koreans and one Nigerian working for Hyundai Heavy Industries are being held by gunmen in Nigeria, South Korean officials say
  • Date: 18th December 2012
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (DECEMBER 18, 2012) (REUTERS) FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ENTERING JOURNALISTS FOREIGN MINISTRY EMPLOYEES VIEW OF BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN CHO TAI-YOUNG SAYING: "No contact has been made yet from the kidnappers, so we do not know their motive of kidnapping (our workers)." VIEW OF BRIEFING FOREIGN MINISTRY EMPLOYEES JOURNALISTS VIEW OF BRIEFING EMERGENCY MEETING TO HANDLE KIDNAPPING CASE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT MAP (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR OVERSEAS KOREA AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS, AHN YOUNG-JIP, SAYING: "Let's check the current situation, examine past situations and share our wisdom to solve this matter." PEOPLE WATCHING EMPLOYEES OF HYUNDAI HEAVY INDUSTRY VIEW OF MEETING SIGNBOARD READING IN KOREAN: "DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR OVERSEAS KOREANS AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS" CORRIDOR
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4Y018BCU0QOCNOK99MM6466PB
  • Story Text: South Korea said on Tuesday (December 18) that four South Koreans and one Nigerian employed by Hyundai Heavy Industries are being held captive in Nigeria.
    The South Korean foreign ministry spokesman said the men were kidnapped at a construction site at Brass Island in the coastal Bayelsa state on Monday (December 17).
    A sixth man, a Nigerian, was also abducted but has since been released.

    "No contact has been made yet from the kidnappers, so we do not know their motive of kidnapping (our workers)," said South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young during a news briefing.
    Seoul's foreign ministry organised an emergency meeting to handle the abduction.

    "Let's check the current situation, examine through the past affairs and share our wisdom to solve this matter," said Ahn Young-jip, Director-General for Overseas Korea and Consular Affairs..
    Officials from the foreign ministry, The South Korean construction company Hyundai Heavy Industries and the ministry of land, transport and marine affairs attended the meeting.
    Seoul's Yonhap News agency quoted ministry officials as saying one South Korean worker from Daewoo Engineering and construction had also been kidnapped in April in Nigeria, but he was set free after 10 days in captivity.
    Nigeria is one of the worst countries in the world for kidnapping. Foreigners working in the south are often targeted because firms will often pay high ransoms to secure the release of their employees.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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