South Koreans were again in shock over the Taliban's killing of another hostage Monday. The deadlocked negotiations for the release of Korean Christian volunteers held captive by the Afghan insurgents have taken a turn for the worst. The latest victim is Shim Sung-min, 29. His death came five days after pastor Bae Hyung-kyu, the leader of the 23-member volunteer group abducted in Afghanistan on July 19, was slain by the captors.
It is unfortunate that the Taliban took the life of two innocent volunteers who went to the war-torn country to provide for the needy. The militant Islamic insurgents should immediately stop playing the hostage-taking game as it is not only a heinous crime against humanity but also an act of terrorism on innocent civilians. They must realize the kidnapping cannot be justified or tolerated under any circumstances, whatever the cause of their struggle.
The captors have continued to demand the swapping of the hostages for Taliban fighters held in Afghan jails. They have extended the deadline for their demands more than seven times. The militias also arranged several interviews between abductees and the media in a bid to keep pressure on the Afghan and South Korean government. The insurgents have threatened to kill the hostages one by one unless their demands are met. As the Kabul government refuses to change its stance, the militia shot Shim to death.
They warned that they could kill more hostages if the government won't set free Taliban prisoners. However, the Afghan administration said it cannot accept the demand which officials said was not open for discussion. President Hamid Karzai ruled out freeing the prisoners in exchange for the hostages. His government was criticized for releasing five Taliban prisoners in March in return for a kidnapped Italian journalist. Kabul came under attack for increasing the risks for foreigners, as the swap was feared to stimulate the insurgents to stage more hostage dramas. The fear translated into reality in the span of four months.
South Korean negotiators are at a loss for a resolution. Upon news of the second killing, the Seoul government held a security policy meeting to hammer out follow-up measures to secure the release of the captives. Regrettably, the crisis is likely to take much longer.
Karzai is scheduled to visit Washington on Aug. 5 to hold a summit with U.S. President George W. Bush. The two leaders are expected to discuss ways of solving the hostage issue. Time might run out for the Korean abductees before the meeting. However, the Korean government will have to make all-out diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety of the remaining 21 hostages and have them freed with no more loss of life. We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and call on the Taliban to immediately release their captives without any preconditions.