Seoul denies Taliban hostage payment
Friday, 31 Aug 2007 13:27
Taliban negotiators confirmed the release of the hostages this week
South Korea's government has denied reports that it paid Taliban insurgents to secure the release of 19 of its citizens held hostage in Afghanistan.
Earlier this week Seoul announced it had reached an agreement with the Christian missionaries' captors, who abducted the 23 workers on July 19th on a bus in the town of Ghazni.
Two of the male hostages were executed late last month as negotiations stalled, while two women were released on August 13th as a goodwill gesture.
But despite arranging the liberty of its citizens South Korea has come under fire after reportedly paying the Taliban up to £20 million and banning residents from conducting Christian missionary work in the south Asian country.
The Korea World Missions Association has already expressed "deep concerns" over the agreement, which will definitely see non-combat South Korean troops removed from Afghanistan before the end of the year.
A spokesman for the office of president Roh Moo-hyun denied claims that a ransom was paid, however.
"There is no secret agreement with the Taliban other than the already announced conditions for the hostage release," said Blue House spokesman Cheon Ho-seon.
"The South Korean government has done its best for the hostage release. All of the 19 freed hostages are healthy and will arrive at Incheon international airport, west of Seoul, on the early morning of Sunday via Dubai."