By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Families of Korean hostages held by the Taliban in Afghanistan are considering visiting Afghanistan or the United States to directly plead with the two nations for help in releasing their beloved amid stalled negotiations.
Cha Sung-min, representative of the families and brother of an abductor Cha Hye-jin, said Thursday that they wish to head for Afghanistan before the summit meeting between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the U.S. President George W. Bush, slated for Sunday.
``We want to visit both Kabul and Washington to directly seek their help,'' Cha said.
``Travel to Afghanistan was banned and even some of us say that going there may be impossible practically, but we are talking about the issue,'' he said.
He said they told their opinion to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the government said it would think about it, not giving clear answers yet. ``If the visit to Afghanistan is unavailable, we may choose the U.S.,'' Cha said.
``We still lay our hope on the government's negotiations. But we are so desperate.'' he said.
The families' anxiety peaked when a report about a rescue operation came late Wednesday. Although the report was false, they were exhausted from extreme tension.
On Thursday afternoon, Asitha Perera, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Seoul, visited the families to console them, who asked the ambassador's help in resolving the crisis. Perera said he would seek cooperation with the Afghanistan Embassy in Korea. Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
In the meantime, the body of Shim Sung-min, 29, the second victim shot dead, arrived home.
The remains were transferred to Seoul National University Hospital in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, where doctors and prosecutors examined the body. The prosecution will perform an autopsy on the body, which will be donated for medical study.
Families of the remaining 21 hostages and the first victim Rev. Bae Hyung-kyu expressed their condolences to bereaved family of Shim at the memorial service parlor at the hospital. His funeral will be held Saturday.