South Korean hostages

TALIBAN HOSTAGES: The ministry said 19 from the Saemmul Community Church south of Seoul were among the Korean abductees held by Taliban gunmen in the southern province, some 175 kilometers south of Kabul.

They are Bae Hyung-kyu (43), Lee Sun-young (37), Seo Myung-hwa (29), Cha Hye-jin (31), Seo Kyung-seok (27), Ko Se-hun (27), Kim Ji-na (32), Kim Kyung-ja (37), Yoo Jung-hwa (39), Je Chang-hee (38), Shim Sung-min (29), Lee Joo-yeon (27), Yoo Kyung-sik (55), Song Byung-woo (33), Lee Young-kyung (22), Han Ji-young (34), Kim Yun-young (35), An Hye-jin (31) and Lee Sung-eun (24).

Two more South Korean nationals from a non-governmental organization operating in Afghanistan were also abducted along with the church members, said ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong. There were not identified. [More]

KILL THREAT:The Taliban who have threatened to kill 23 South Korean hostages unless an equal number of their own fighters are released, extended on Sunday the deadline of their ultimatum by 24 hours, according to a man identifying himself as a spokesman for the insurgent group. [More]

SWAP DEAL: The Taleban delayed a threat to kill 23 South Korean hostages yesterday while increasing their demands for a prisoner swap. But President Karzai of Afghanistan is under pressure to refuse to release Taleban fighters in exchange for the Christian aid workers.

Mulavi Attiullah Luddin, a member of parliament from Nangarhar, said of a possible swap: “It will only encourage the Taleban to take hostages. It’s opening a market for all Taleban, criminals and al-Qaeda”. [More]

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