Koreans kidnapped in Afghanistan

***LATEST DEVELOPMNTS
Aug29 :Taliban announced the remaining hostages would be released with Korea government's pledge to pull troops by the end of the year. Two Korean men have been killed during the incident.
July 31 :Al Jazeera aired a video showing hostages in despair.
July 31 :Another dead following a series of failed negotigations between captors and Korean government.
July 27 :Taliban indefinitely extended the deadline for releasing the hostages.
July 27 :CBS news interviewed one hostage being held by the Taliban. Watch clip
July 25 :At least one person among the group has been killed by Taliban insurgents.




It took me more than a few seconds to comprehend the fact that 23 Koreans were kidnapped in Afghanistan following the news about their government banning its citizens from going to the war-stricken country. Not only was it because the event did not trigger good coverage in Taiwan press, the idea of Koreans living in Afganistan is itself striking. But it took shorter for me to appreciate the fact, and then feeling upset, that these folks were there as volunteers before they were kidnapped by Taliban insurgents.

According to the English version of Chosun Ilbo, some 500 Korean evangelicals have been visiting Afghanistan each yer since the US-led war that started 2002. Instead of preaching gospels, most of them are engaged in humanitarian work such as providing medical advice, teaching children and helping farmers. They were then abducted by insurgents who want to use them to force the administration in their home country to withdraw forces from where they are giving help. Who are helping and who are not?

The Korean government later banned more missionaries from entering the country, saying they are taking unnecessary risks. A 100 more Korean missionaries are still inside Afganistan, according to Chosun Ilbo.

The good news is that the original deadline for the Korean government to make such withdrawal was extended by the Taliban. More talks are ongoing and the hostages are alive. The bad news is that a US-led rescue force tried to surround the captors before they were called off by a threat to kill the hostages immediately.

From this, I have to take the liberty of speculating that the fundamental rationale of the Afghan war was not religious differences. Hatred should have been nurtured by something else.