Report: Saudis Have Closed Deal For Release Of All Korean Hostages
Seeking Saudi support for hostage release: Song Min-soon, left, minister of foreign affairs and trade, talks to King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz of Saudi Arabia at the king’s palace, Saturday. Song asked for Saudi Arabia’s assistance in the release of the 19 remaining Korean hostages held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. / Yonhap
Korea Times
Seoul did not confirm the report that Taliban militants holding 19 Korean hostages agreed with Korean officials to free them.
The reaction came following an Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) report Saturday that an agreement has been made with the mediation of the government of Saudi Arabia.
AIP said the governments of Korea and Saudi Arabia will officially announce the agreement in Ghazni Province where the Taliban kidnapped the Koreans on July 19.
Meanwhile, the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said the Taliban demanded a ransom of $100,000 per hostage for the release.
Earlier, the insurgents demanded the Afghan government free Taliban fighters imprisoned in Afghanistan but the Afghan government refused to accept the demand, saying it would encourage more kidnappings.
The daily added the ransom is the most viable solution, saying Korean negotiators have already told the Taliban that the Afghan government would not accept the hostages-prisoners swap.
According to sources in Kabul, the Korean side offered the militants a ransom of $500,000.
However, the Korean government didn’t confirm the report. Instead, Seoul officials said the Korean delegation in Afghanistan is still doing their best to secure the release of the hostages.
“Communications are continuing between the Taliban and the Korean side,” a Seoul official said. “But I don’t think there will be a specific shift in the situation today.”
The report came as Song Min-soon, minister of foreign affairs and trade, arrived in Saudi Arabia, Saturday, the first leg of his tour to the Middle East to try to resolve the hostage crisis and strengthen ties.
Song delivered a letter from President Roh Moo-hyun to King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz and called for Saudi help to end the hostage crisis.
The king said he will continue to cooperate with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other Islamic leaders for the release of the hostages. Song will also visit Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.
AIP said under the alleged agreement Korean troops will leave Afghanistan in the coming weeks and all Korean people in Afghanistan would return home.
About 200 Korean troops, mostly medics and engineers, are officially scheduled to return home from Afghanistan by the end of this year.
The Taliban have killed two male hostages and freed two female hostages.
The remaining captives, mostly in their 20s and 30s, went to Afghanistan on July 13 to offer volunteer medical services.
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August 26th, 2007 at 4:35 amGee, why are the Saudis so close with the Taliban?
August 26th, 2007 at 7:36 amThe Saudis? LOL. They’re the real enemy.
August 26th, 2007 at 8:13 amDid the Saudis write the damn check? Or did they just agree to give a straight arms shipment and avoid the pretense?
August 26th, 2007 at 8:31 amIf anyone wants a Skull and Crossbones DEATH TO THE TALIBAN sticker or screen saver please email me at
August 26th, 2007 at 12:22 pmThis war ends at the gates of Mecca with the fall of the House of Saud.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:30 pmIf this is true, Korea will not only remove itself from the coalition, but will provide money for arms to kill coalition members from other countries. Appalling. You can tell that Saudi Arabia must have really appealed to their “share Islamic values” in striking that deal!
I’ve never understood what a busload of Christian Korean healthworkers was doing driving around in a bus in unsafe territory to begin with. Anybody know anything about that?
August 26th, 2007 at 3:19 pmthe korean government had previously warned christian groups on 17 different occasions not to travel to or to leave from afghanistan. these groups are notoriously naive, refusing to hire armed guards and then crying and wailing about their victimization when terrorists harm or abduct them. I respect christians who go to these territoreis to promote the gospel and do forms of charity but lose that respect when they whine like victims when things go wrong. whatever happened to christian zeal when confonted with suffering? These korean hostages have a golden opportunity to show the world what a true christian is: one who stands up to adversity, never negating their faith, enduring trials with conviction and fortitude, doing no harm, and potentialy dying for the sake of christ and the gospel. that is being a true witness, not whining and crying, cursing the USA, trying to negotiate with the criminals and /or bribing them.
these korean christians are putting the faith and christ to shame. Remember kim sun ils, plea for his life before his head was chopped off in Iraq? I was in korea watching his christian parents blame george bush for his abduction and murder. Christians here are all talk!
August 26th, 2007 at 6:57 pm