hankyoreh

The office of President Roh Moo-hyun Friday indirectly denied news reports alleging that the South Korean government has paid a hefty ransom to the Taliban in return for the recent release of South Korean hostages.

"There is no secret agreement with the Taliban other than the already announced conditions for the hostage release," Roh's spokesman, Cheon Ho-seon, said in his daily media briefing.

Cheon made the brief remark when asked if Seoul had paid any cash to the Taliban.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry has steadily denied paying any money to Taliban captors.

Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday that the Taliban agreed to free all the remaining South Korean hostages in exchange for Seoul's promise to withdraw its Army troops stationed in Afghanistan by the year's end, and impose a ban on its Christian nationals' missionary activities in the war-ravaged Central Asian nation.

News media have speculated that the South Korean government ransomed the hostages by paying the Taliban as much as 20 million British pounds.

The Taliban on July 19 abducted 23 South Korean civilians who were travelling in Afghanistan to do volunteer work sponsored by a Korean church. All of the hostages, except two men killed in late July, have been released. Two women were first released on Aug. 13, while the remaining 19 were freed this week.

"The South Korean government has done its best for the hostage release. All of the 19 freed hostages are healthy and will arrive at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on the early morning of Sunday via Dubai," Cheon said.

Meanwhile, Cheon said that the government will exercise its right of indemnity to recoup all expenses spent to secure the hostage release, including the airfare of the hostages and fees incurred to transport the bodies of the two slain hostages.

"The Korean government will consider exercising its right of indemnity within a legally possible scope to recoup expenses related to the hostage release after consulting the civil code and foreign cases," said the spokesman.
SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap News)