Taliban Releases 3 Korean Hostages

According to the agreement between the Korean government and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, three female hostages were released on August 29. The hostages are Ahn Hye-jin (31), a web designer, Lee Jeong-ran (33), a nurse, and Han Ji-yeong (34), an English teacher for a language institute.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong said, “The Taliban released them at about 5:10 p.m. and handed them over to our side. We are doing our best to get another 16 hostages back as soon as possible.”

Kari Yousef Ahmadi, known as the Taliban spokesman, indicated an additional release by saying in a telephone interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, “We freed another four females and a male around 1:00 p.m. near Ghazni.”

According to the AP, the Taliban handed three females to tribal leaders and the released hostages were delivered to the Red Crescent. They were wearing green Afghan traditional clothes and did not respond to questions from journalists. Two of released women called their families after they were freed. They said in a telephone interview with the Afghanistan Islamic Press (AIP), “We are so tired but we are fine.”

An Afghanistan tribal senior who broadcast the direct negotiations between the Korean government and Taliban insurgents notified the press of the release by saying that, “The Taliban said to us to come and get the hostages at 11:00 a.m.”

The Red Crescent brought three SUVs to transport the hostages.

The released hostages will be transported to get medical check ups by a medical team for Korean troops in Afghanistan at U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team base, and they will be transported to Bagram Air Base located north of the Afghan capital of Kabul before flying back to Korea.

Meanwhile, regarding criticism of the direct negotiations with terrorists which is against international anti-terrorism mode, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said, “It is the obligation of a nation to show flexibility in taking actions to save Korean people unless the action goes way too much against accepted principles and practices.”