News:
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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. -
About time
Now they are wasting resources of the military, and South Korea needs to pull out in order to save 23 people who goes on unauthorised travels to Afghanistan
Good job
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It will be interesting to see Korea's response to this. Korea only has 200 troops there. I don't think withdrawing them is a big deal. However, on priciple, it is very difficult to give in to the demands as it will only encourage more kidnappings.Originally posted by laurence82:About time
Now they are wasting resources of the military, and South Korea needs to pull out in order to save 23 people who goes on unauthorised travels to Afghanistan
Good job -
Politics only messes everything up. The thing is, if they try to mount a rescue operation, would it result in more losses than the original 23? Heck, the kidnappers may not even want to kill all 23.
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Hmm... okay. Then if you take out politics, what should be done then? Just ignore the kidnappers and see what happens? Then again, inaction is itself an action.Originally posted by SturmDerSchatten:Politics only messes everything up. The thing is, if they try to mount a rescue operation, would it result in more losses than the original 23? Heck, the kidnappers may not even want to kill all 23.
I'm not too sure what you mean by 'politics' as well. -
Politics in the sense where governments try to pretend to do something, usually silly heroics and blunders that make things worse and the people ending up with egg on their face. Take the "Saving Private Lynch" incident, for example.Originally posted by Phaze:Hmm... okay. Then if you take out politics, what should be done then? Just ignore the kidnappers and see what happens? Then again, inaction is itself an action.
I'm not too sure what you mean by 'politics' as well.
I think the volunteers went there knowing full well what might happen to them. Of course, Seoul has to take every consideration before anything happens, but what if something goes wrong and more than 23 people die? It'd be worse, wouldn't it?
Right now, all we can do is hope for the best until 10.30 pm tonight. -
On an off-topic note, is there no way for me to change the topic? it's looks silly that it just says "News:". Totally my fault of course but still...