GHAZNI, Afghanistan - The Taliban agreed Tuesday to free 19 South Korean church volunteers held hostage since July after the government in Seoul pledged to end all missionary work and keep a promise to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.The Taliban originally seized 23 South Koreans, but have since killed two of the hostages and released two others. Direct talks between Taliban negotiators and South Korean officials in central Afghanistan led to the agreement to end the hostage crisis, which had exposed the growing security problems facing Afghanistan. "I would like to dance," Cho Myung-ho, mother of 28-year-old hostage Lee Joo-yeon, said in South Korea after hearing news of the impending release. There was no word, though, on when it would take place. Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said South Korean and Taliban delegates at face-to-face talks Tuesday in the central town of Ghazni had "reached an agreement" to free the captives. South Korean presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-sun said the deal had been reached "on the condition that South Korea withdraws troops by the end of year and South Korea suspends missionary work in Afghanistan," he said. In reaching the deal, South Korea did not appear to commit to anything it did not already plan to do. Seoul has already said it would withdraw its 200 non-combat troops by the end of the year and has also sought to prevent missionaries from causing trouble in countries where they were not wanted. "We welcome the agreement to release 19 South Koreans," said Cheon. The government and relatives of the hostages had insisted that the 19 kidnapped South Koreans were not missionaries, but were doing aid work. The Taliban had initially demanded the withdrawal of South Korean troops from the country and the release of prisoners in exchange for freeing the hostages, but Afghan officials had ruled out any exchange, saying it would only encourage further kidnappings. Taliban spokesmen have previously said they had no interest in a ransom payment.
Presidential spokesman Cheon told The Associated Press that he was informed by South Korean officials in Afghanistan that money was not discussed during negotiations with the Taliban, which were mediated by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"We are sorry to the public for causing concern, but we thank the government officials for the (impending) release," Cha Sung-min, whose 32-year-old sister Cha Hye-jin was being held, told The Associated Press. "Still, our hearts are broken as two died, so we convey our sympathy to the bereaved family members," said Cha, 31, who has served as a spokesman for the hostages' relatives.
첫 뉴스에 있어서 퍼왔습니다.
참 다행입니다.
인질 희생자가 더이상 안나오고 잘 해결되서요.
