VARIOUS: South Koreans worry for hostages as new Taliban deadline approaches

Record ID: 477427

  • Title: VARIOUS: South Koreans worry for hostages as new Taliban deadline approaches
  • Date: 30th July 2007
  • Summary: (W2) SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 30, 2007) (REUTERS) DEAD HOSTAGE BAE HYUNG-GYU'S BROTHER BAE SHIN-GYU HEADING MEDIA BRIEFING VARIOUS OF REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) DEAD HOSTAGE BAE HYUNG-GYU'S BROTHER BAE SHIN-GYU SAYING: "Plans for the funeral will start after all of the hostages are released. Until then, we will not have any ceremonies mourning him." VARIOUS OF REPORTER
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2007 13:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVAEYEB46H309PNJQO3NMWA6KRT9
  • Story Text: South Koreans concerned for the health and well-being of 22 hostages being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan as the Taliban sets another deadline for the government to release Taliban prisoners.
    South Koreans say they're increasingly concerned for the health of the 22 hostages held in Afghanistan after the Taliban again extended a deadline for the government to release rebels from jail.
    The Taliban gave the Afghan government until 0730 GMT on Monday (July 30) to meet their demands, the latest in a string of deadlines the group has given in return for releasing the group of Christian aid workers they kidnapped on July 19. It also ruled out further talks with the government to resolve the crisis.
    Afghan police have stepped up security in Ghazni province where the South Koerans are being held. Emmamuddin, one of the officers involved, said the aim was to stop any more kidnapping.
    Shopkeepers hope the demands of the Taliban will be accepted and that all the female hostages will be released.
    One shopkeeper, Ali Shah, said the government should release up to 100 Taliban prisoners in exchange for the women as Islam valued women.
    The kidnappers killed the leader of the Korean group, 42-year-old Bae Hyung-ku, on Wednesday. Bae's body arrived in South Korea on Monday, but Bae's brother Bae Shin-kyu said the family would not hold any funeral ceremonies until all the hostages return home.
    Several deadlines have passed without the rebels carrying out their threat to kill the remaining hostages. Since then, several hostages had been interviewed, including two hostages by Japan broadcaster NHK on Sunday (July 29).
    Shim Seong-min told NHK that he was in an unidentifiable location with three more hostages in a house.
    Kim Ji-na, another hostage, said she didn't have any specific injuries but she wasn't eating very much as she wasn't used to the food she was given.
    South Korean presidential envoy Baek Jong-Chun held talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to try and speed up the release.
    Sporadic talks between the Afghan government and South Korean diplomats on one side and Taliban rebels on the other have continually snagged over the rebels' demand for Kabul to swap jailed insurgents for the Koreans.
    The South Korean government said such circumstances were difficult to work with. Presidential spokesman Chun Ho-sun said they remained "nervous" but were watching the situation closely.
    Chun added that the Taliban received medical aid sent to the hostages, but it had yet to be confirmed whether the hostages had received any of it.
    On the streets of Seoul many South Koreans can't understand why the negotiations are taking so long.
    Jung Woo-jong, who's 37, said he had several suspicions - either a problem with the Afghan government, or the South Korean government, "or the U.S. is hampering things in the middle".
    Others said they were concerned for the health of the hostages, 18 of whom are women.
    18-year-old Goh Young-ah said he thought the Taliban were trying to negotiate to their advantage but that would be bad for the hostages' health.
    For 53-year-old Lee Suk-jo, the hostages had to be saved at all costs.
    "Isn't the life of a human valuable? So even if we have to listen to them, we should, in order to prevent the loss of life," he said.
    Afghan President Hamid Karzai has previously ruled out any deal with the Taliban after coming under harsh criticism for freeing five rebel prisoners in exchange for the release of an Italian hostage in March.
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