South Korea to punish travel to
Afghanistan
SOUTH Korea, agonising over 23 of
its citizens threatened with death by the Taliban, has announced
new rules to punish unauthorised travel to Afghanistan with
possible jail terms.
In a response to the hostage crisis, the foreign ministry has
banned its nationals from travelling to the war-torn country and
urged South Koreans already there to get out.
Spokeswoman Han Hye-Jin said that Afghanistan has been added to the
list of banned countries under a law which takes effect on
Tuesday.
South Koreans can be jailed for up to one year or fined up to three
million won ($3,631) if they visit banned countries without prior
permission.
The ministry on Saturday decided to include Afghanistan in the
list, which formerly included only Iraq and Somalia.
"We strongly recommend our nationals in Afghanistan, now designated
as a travel-ban country, to withdraw from there,'' a ministry
statement said.
Around 400 South Koreans - about 200 peacekeeping troops and some
200 civilians - are believed to be in Afghanistan, according to
ministry estimates.
Taliban rebels have threatened to kill the 23 kidnapped South
Koreans unless Kabul frees 23 jailed insurgents.
They have also demanded that Seoul withdraw its 200 troops serving
under US-led command on an aid mission.
On Sunday a spokesman for the insurgents extended the deadline by
24 hours, until 2.30pm (GMT) Monday, as a South Korean team flew to
Kabul.
The Seoul government has reaffirmed its plan to withdraw its troops
from Afghanistan by the end of the year.
The foreign ministry says Seoul is in contact with the kidnappers
through "various direct and indirect channels.''
The captives, abducted last Thursday while travelling by bus from
Kandahar to Kabul, are mostly women in their 20s and 30s belonging
to a Presbyterian church on the outskirts of Seoul.
Both the government and their families have stressed they were on
an aid mission and not an evangelical one.
South Korea's largest Protestant group, the National Council of
Churches, appealed Sunday to the Taliban to release the group,
which it said was "just helping children and people suffering from
disease in Afghanistan.''
The group also urged local churches to refrain from evangelical
activities in Afghanistan and other war-ravaged countries.
Seoul officials said the abductees were providing free medical and
educational services to a population hurt by decades of war.
The families of the hostages refuted some public criticism that
they embarked recklessly on a dangerous missionary trip.
