By Xinhua
Seoul : The office of President Roh Moo-hyun Friday denied news reports alleging that the South Korean government has paid a hefty ransom to the Taliban in return for the release of South Korean hostages.
“There is no secret agreement with the Taliban other than already announced conditions for the hostage release,” Roh’s spokesman, Cheon Ho-seon, said during his daily media briefing.
Cheon made the brief remark when asked if Seoul had paid ransom to the Taliban. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has steadily denied paying any money to Taliban captors.
Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday that the Taliban had agreed to free all the remaining South Korean hostages in exchange for Seoul’s promise to withdraw its army troops stationed in Afghanistan by year end, and impose a ban on its Christian nationals’ missionary activities in the war-ravaged Central Asian country.
News media have speculated that the South Korean government had paid as much as 20 million pounds as ransom for the release of the hostages.
The Taliban on July 19 abducted 23 South Korean civilians who were travelling in Afghanistan to do volunteer work sponsored by a Korean church. All of the hostages, except two men killed in late July, have been released. Two women were first released on Aug 13, while the remaining 19 were freed this week.
“The South Korean government has done its best for the hostage release. All of the 19 freed hostages are healthy and will arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, early morning of Sunday via Dubai,” Cheon said.
Meanwhile, Cheon said that the government will exercise its right of indemnity to recoup all expenses spent to secure the hostage release, including the airfare of the hostages and fees incurred to transport the bodies of the two slain hostages.
“The Korean government will consider exercising its right of indemnity within a legally possible scope to recoup expenses related to the hostage release after consulting the civil code and foreign cases,” said the spokesman.