The announcement, published in The Korea Times, came after South Korean Christians and other critics said a ban on missionary travel to Afghanistan limits religious freedom and encourages militants to attack Christians around the globe. The government banned the entry of South Koreans into the Central Asian country following a hostage crisis involving 23 South Korean Christians in July.
Two male hostages were killed and two female abductees were released before the last 19 were set free this month. In a deal with Taliban insurgents to secure the release of the 19 hostages, the government pledged to withdraw all South Korean missionary groups.
The former hostages relived their memories this week, telling reporters that Taliban militants violently forced them to convert to Islam.
CONVERT OR DIE
They feared for their lives at times when their captors allegedly turned violent. "We were beaten with a tree branch or kicked around. Some kidnappers threatened us with death at gunpoint to force us to follow them in chanting their Islamic prayer for conversion," Jae Chang-hee said.
Armed Taliban apparently aimed their guns at them, while a pit was before them. "I was beaten many times. They pointed a rifle and bayonet at me and tried to force me to convert."
He reportedly said the group "lived like slaves. We had to level the ground for motorbikes, and get water and make a fire". Another of the group, Yu Jung-hwa, described how she thought she was going to die.
DIFFICULT MOMENT
"The most difficult moment, when I had a big fear of death, was when the Taliban shot a video. All 23 of us leaned against a wall and armed Taliban aimed their guns at us, and a pit was before me. They said they will save us if we believe in Islam. I almost fainted at the time and I still cannot look at cameras," she said.
Cha Hae-jin said the group were kept "in a closed place like a shed" and were not allowed to go out. "It was like suffocating", she said. Han Ji-young recalled how the leader of the group, Bae Hyung-kyu, was led away to his death.
"One day, a Taliban called Bae and checked his first and last names and took him out of the room. Bae didn’t even look at us when he was leaving the room. He only said ‘Overcome with faith’," Ms Han said, in tears. South Korea’s intelligence chief denied that his government paid a ransom to obtain the group’s release. The South Korean Christian volunteers held hostage in Afghanistan for nearly six weeks left hospital on Wednesday, September 12, but medics cautioned that altough they were physically fit, they may still need counselling.
KOREANS REMAIN
Despite the dangers, 100 South Koreans plan to remain in Afghanistan. "We are sending a fact-finding mission in early October to determine whether to allow South Korean residents to stay…," The Korea Times quoted an unidentified official as saying.
The delegation was to include officials of the ministries of foreign affairs and trade, construction and transportation, commerce, industry and energy and the National
Intelligence Service.
About 100 South Korean including aid workers, business people and embassy staff currently stay in Afghanistan, along with 200 soldiers of a medical and engineering unit, which is to pull out by the end of the year under the deal with the Taliban.
