Hostages Undergo Fearful, Deprived Life
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
All eyes are now on the ordeal the hostages suffered during their 43 days in captivity. Two spoke up, saying it was scary.
Seo Myung-hwa, one of the released hostages, Friday showed her white pants with her journal written on the inner side. The 29 year-old explained that she started writing it with a ball pen since July 24. ``Many kept their journals in the early days, but the Taliban militants took them away.''
On her document were brief memos of their routes, transportation and daily activities. ``Aug. 15; moved to Ahmad's house. Aug. 17; got sick. Aug. 18; ate some porridge made with juice. Aug 21; washed hair.''
There were some parts where names of food were written. Fried chicken, seafood pancakes, chicken broth, instant noodles, boiled kimchi and others she wanted to eat once freed. ``These small things made me hold on to life,'' Seo said.
There were many stories. According to Seo and Yu Kyeong-sik, who were both at a press conference in Kabul, the kidnapping may have been highly organized.
On July 19, the day of their kidnap, the group's bus driver suddenly said he is sick and asked them to take another bus. When they were driving through Ghazni Province, suddenly two men got on board. The driver explained the two were his acquaintances and would leave soon.
However, 20 minutes later, the two stood up and threatened the others with guns to stop. The kidnappers first said they were government agents working against Al Qaeda, which later turned out to be false.
The hostages were moved 12 times, from ordinary villages to mountainous areas, and then to some places they didn't know.
Some tried to run away, but even local residents were watchdogs telling them to go back. The militants threatened to kill them all the time.
The captives ate biscuits and potato and were provided with tea. They went to sleep around 10 p.m. and got up between 6-7 a.m.
The hostages were divided into groups of three or four and were separated from each other, but kept their Christian lifestyle. They had religious services of their own and one of them went on a fast to pray for their release, which was later reported as a hunger strike by the Taliban.
It was revealed that the Taliban forced the hostages to tell the press that they were very sick and in desperate need of help. ``They said our government will try to save us then,'' Seo said.
Also, some of the captives made telephone calls to their families in Korea, but the government kept it secret due to the safety issue. Cha Sung-min, brother of Cha Hye-jin, said his sister called her mother on July 25, seven days after the kidnapping, to tell her the militants were treating her well and there was nothing to worry about.
She called again last Sunday to learn that the agreement to their release was near.