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The shocking report of the brutal slaying of the Rev. Bae Hyung-kyu turned out to be true, but news that eight of the abductees had been freed was false. One can only feel rage and anger at the barbaric act of the armed Taliban group, which kidnapped and murdered a civilian who had come to their country as a volunteer worker. And it is simply heartbreaking to hear that a bus carrying the eight abductees returned to the Taliban hideout just before they were freed.
The Taliban again set a new negotiating deadline and are threatening to kill more of the hostages unless their demands are met. Judging from their behavior, it appears that negotiations to free the abductees have reached a crossroads. Following Vice Foreign Minister Cho Jung-pyo, the Korean government dispatched to Afghanistan the chief presidential secretary for security policy Baek Jong-chun as a special envoy. President Roh Moo-hyun spoke over the telephone twice with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
At this point, Korean diplomacy must use two different approaches at the same time. In face-to-face talks, Korea must abide by international standards and regulations in dealing with terrorist groups. This is unavoidable when the entire world is looking at how Korea handles itself diplomatically.
But on the other side, we must use all the resources available to us. It is impossible for us to physically suppress the terrorist group. Regarding the slaying of Rev. Bae, the Korean government said the abductors cannot avoid being held responsible for their actions. But right now, there is no viable method of retaliation. If that’s the case, there is no other alternative than to deliver a strong message to Kabul and Washington that saving Korean lives must be the top priority. The U.S. and Afghan governments are in a dilemma as well. But there can be no disagreements that the lives of the hostages are the most important factor.
The U.S. and Afghan governments must restrain from undertaking hasty military actions, while taking a flexible stance against the demands and conditions set by the Taliban. This is the wish of the Korean people. The problem is that different Taliban factions, which are keeping the hostages in three different locations, are making different demands. One of those factions almost released eight of the hostages, while another murdered Rev. Bae, demonstrating starkly different behavior. The governments of Korea and related countries need to resolve the crisis by dealing with these different sets of demands. They must secure the release of any abductees that are possible under the circumstances.
There will be more crisis situations. At this point, when we have few options, the overwhelming support of the Korean people can be a great source of strength for the government and pressure against the abductors.
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