SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES REPORTS OF RELEASE OF SOUTH KOREAN HOSTAGES

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES REPORTS OF RELEASE OF SOUTH KOREAN HOSTAGES
New York, Aug 28 2007 2:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed media reports that the Taliban has agreed to free 19 hostages from the Republic of Korea (ROK) that it has held captive in Afghanistan for more than a month.

Responding to questions during a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Ban said he was pleased and now hoped the hostages could be released as soon as possible.

The Secretary-General commended the efforts of the Afghan and ROK Governments and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (<"http://www.unama-afg.org/Index.htm">UNAMA) to obtain the release of the Koreans.

He also voiced concern over the difficult conditions faced by the hostages, who were captured on 19 July while in Ghazni province in south-eastern Afghanistan. Two hostages were subsequently killed and two others were freed.
2007-08-28 00:00:00.000

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