South Korean hostages photo taken before boarding the plane to Afghanistan

On 19 July 2007, a group of 23 South Korean missionaries were captured and held hostage by members of the Taliban while passing through Ghazni Province of Afghanistan. The group, composed of sixteen women and seven men, was captured while traveling from Kandahar to Kabul by bus on a mission sponsored by the Saemmul Presbyterian Church.^[1] The crisis began when two local men, who the driver had allowed to board, started shooting to bring the bus to a halt. Over the next month, the hostages were kept in cellars and farmhouses and regularly moved in groups of three to four.^[2]

Two of the hostages, Bae Hyeong-gyu, a 42-year-old South Korean pastor of Saemmul Church, and Shim Seong-min, a 29-year-old South Korean man, were killed on 25 and 30 July, respectively. Later, with negotiations making progress, two women, Kim Gyeong-ja and Kim Ji-na, were released on 13 August and the remaining 19 hostages on 29 and 30 August.^[3]

The release of the hostages was secured with a South Korean promise to withdraw its 200 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2007. Although the South Korean government offered no statement, a Taliban spokesman claimed that the militant group also received a ransom of US$20 million in exchange for the safety of the captured missionaries.

Negotiations

As South Korea was already scheduled to withdraw its 200 troops by the end of the year, the Taliban's initial demand was only that they hold to this plan, but later also sought the release of 23 Taliban militants from prison. The Taliban issued and extended several deadlines for the release of the prisoners, after which they threatened to begin killing the hostages. Freedom for the militants was ruled out when it was apparent the South Korean negotiators could not secure the release of Afghan prisoners, as Afghan president Hamid Karzai had previously faced criticism for freeing five rebel prisoners in exchange for an Italian hostage.^[4]

Face-to-face meetings between the Taliban and South Korea began on 10 August, resulting in the release of two female hostages, Kim Ji-na and Kim Gyeong-ja, on 13 August. However, on 18 August, a spokesman said that the talks had failed and the fates of the hostages were being considered.^[5]

Release

The freedom of the remaining nineteen hostages (fourteen women and five men)^[6] was secured on August 28^[7] with the participation of Indonesia as a neutral country. They were eventually released on 29 and 30 August.

After the release, a Taliban official announced that South Korea had paid the Taliban more than US$20 million in ransom for the lives of the hostages.^[8] However, South Korea stated that they have made a promise with the Taliban that they would not make any statements about the ransom.^[9]

Response

Public gatherings were held in South Korea during the capture to pray for the safety of the hostages. Muslims residing in South Korea also expressed their grief regarding the incident and stated that the acts of the Taliban were against the principles of Islam.^[10] Many South Koreans nevertheless held numerous protests and demonstrations outside the Seoul Central Mosque.^[11]

On the other hand, many South Koreans were critical of the hostages, as the hostages were conducting Christian missionary service in Islamic Afghanistan despite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's repeated warnings that Taliban had plans to kidnap South Koreans in order to free imprisoned militants.^[12]

Among those criticising the deal from the government as setting a dangerous precedent were the bishop of Daejeon and chairman of Korea Caritas Lazarus You Heung-sik.^[13]

List of hostages

See also

• Foreign relations of South Korea

References