AFGHANISTAN/SOUTH KOREA: Taliban say kill Korean hostage, set new deadline

Record ID: 288401

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN/SOUTH KOREA: Taliban say kill Korean hostage, set new deadline
  • Date: 25th July 2007
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION (W3) AUDIO FROM UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION, AFGHANISTAN (JULY 25, 2007) (REUTERS)/ VIDEO OF STILLS FROM UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION
  • Embargoed: 9th August 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Reuters ID: LVA6M4MYW2AICUKPZI1YMBA5YHQO
  • Story Text: Taliban kidnappers killed one of its 23 South Koreans hostages and will kill the rest if their demands are not met by 2030 GMT on Wednesday (July 25), a Taliban spokesman said.
    The Taliban had complained the Afghan government had failed to release any Taliban prisoners as the kidnappers had demanded and as, according to the rebel spokesman, Korean negotiators had assured them Kabul would do.
    "Since Kabul's administration did not listen to our demand and did not free our prisoners, the Taliban shot dead a male Korean hostage,"
    Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters by telephone from an unknown location on Wednesday.
    "If the administration of Kabul is not ready to release our hostages, then by 1:00 am (local time) the rest of the hostages will be killed," Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters by telephone from an unknown location.
    "That time is the last deadline."
    Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pledged not to swap prisoners for hostages after being heavily criticised both at home and abroad for releasing five Taliban from jail in March in exchange for an Italian reporter.
    The kidnappings have made travel outside major cities risky for the thousands of foreign aid workers and United Nations staff in Afghanistan and may weaken support for military involvement among the more than 30 nations with troops in the country.
    The 23 Korean church volunteers -- 18 women and five men -- were seized in Ghazni province on the main road south from Kabul last week.
    Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a German journalist and his Afghan translator kidnapped in the east of the country overnight were freed on Wednesday.
    One other German and four Afghans abducted last week are still in captivity.
    In Seoul, some 80 South Korean human rights and peace activists held a candle-lit vigil for the hostages. Many of those at the vigil saw the abduction of the South Korean as a result of the presence of South Korean troops in Afghanistan, and chanted slogans demanding their withdrawal.
    "I don't want the hostages to lose their lives as Kim Sun-il did.
    They are in danger because South Korea dispatched its troops," said 29-year-old Kim Tae-yun.
    The anti-war groups have held a series of rallies since 23 Koreans were kidnapped on Thursday (July 19).
    "The hostages must spend everyday in pain. Whenever we think about them, all we have to do is to pray for the complete withdrawal of the troops What else can we do?!" said 30-year-old Jeon hyun-jung.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Video restrictions: parts of this video may require additional clearances. Please see ‘Business Notes’ for more information.
Register