2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan


The 2007 South Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan began on 19 July 2007, when 23 South Korean missionaries were captured and held hostage by members of the Taliban while passing through Ghazni Province of Afghanistan. Two male hostages were executed before the deal was reached between the Taliban and the South Korean government. 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. 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.
Of the 23 hostages captured, two men, 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 executed 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.
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 some 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. South Korean representatives in Washington DC requested a meeting with Afghanistan Kidnap / Ransom experts from SCG International Risk on August 1. SCG then began advising the South Koreans on ways to resolve the crisis.
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.
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.

Release

The freedom of the remaining nineteen hostages was secured on August 28 with the participation of Indonesia as a neutral Muslim 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. However, South Korea stated that they have made a promise with the Taliban that they would not make any statements about the ransom.

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 avow that the acts of the Taliban are against the principles of Islam. Many South Koreans nevertheless held numerous protests and demonstrations outside the Seoul Central Mosque.
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 has plans to kidnap South Koreans in order to free imprisoned militants.
Among these criticising the deal from the government as a dangerous precedent was the bishop of Taejon and chairman of Korea Caritas Lazarus You Heung-sik.

Timeline

On 19 July 2007, a number of South Korean citizens are reported to have been captured by the Taliban from a public bus traveling in the Ghazni Province, from Kandahar to Kabul, and held hostage. The next day the Taliban demanded that all South Korean forces be withdrawn from Afghanistan within 24 hours and also that Afghan president Hamid Karzai release all Taliban inmates. On 21 July South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun gave a national televised speech informing the public of the kidnappings. The Taliban reduced its demand to twenty-three Taliban prisoners in exchange for the lives of the hostages.
Romanized nameName in HangulName in HanjaGenderBirth yearStatus
Bae Hyeong-gyu:ko:배형규裵亨圭Male1965killed on July 25, 2007
Shim Seong-min:ko:심성민沈聖珉Male1978killed on July 30, 2007
Kim Gyeong-ja김경자金慶子Female1970released on August 13, 2007
Kim Ji-na김지나金智娜Female1975released on August 13, 2007
Ryu Gyeong-shik류경식柳慶植Male1952released on August 29, 2007
Ko Sei-hoon고세훈高世勳Male1980released on August 29, 2007
Lyu Jeong-hwa유정화柳貞和Female1968released on August 29, 2007
Lee Seon-yeong이선영李善英Female1970released on August 29, 2007
Lee Ji-yeong이지영李智英Female1970released on August 29, 2007
Han Ji-yeong한지영韓智英Female1973released on August 29, 2007
Lee Jeong-ran이정란李貞蘭Female1974released on August 29, 2007
Lim Hyeon-ju임현주林賢珠Female1975released on August 29, 2007
Cha Hye-jin차혜진車惠珍Female1976released on August 29, 2007
An Hye-jin안혜진安惠珍Female1976released on August 29, 2007
Seo Myeong-hwa서명화徐明和Female1978released on August 29, 2007
Lee Ju-yeon이주연李週妍Female1980released on August 29, 2007
Je Chang-hee제창희諸昌熙Male1969released on August 30, 2007
Song Byeong-woo송병우宋炳宇Male1974released on August 30, 2007
Seo Gyeong-seok서경석徐京石Male1980released on August 30, 2007
Kim Yoon-yeong김윤영金允英Female1972released on August 30, 2007
Pak Hye-yeong박혜영朴惠英Female1972released on August 30, 2007
Lee Seong-eun이성은李成恩Female1983released on August 30, 2007
Lee Yeong-gyeong이영경李英慶Female1985released on August 30, 2007