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some good news to start off with... the korean trade official who was kidnapped
in libya earlier this week has
been rescued... and is safe and unharmed. for more let's connect to our correspondent
hwang sung-hee at the
foreign ministry. sung-hee we hear the official is fine... what
other details do we know at the
moment
good morning mark. korea's foreign ministry has confirmed that
han seok-woo the head of the
libya unit of the korea trade-investment promotion agency , is in good
health... and has been safely handed over to the korean embassy in tripoli
after being freed by libyan security force s.
the release comes three days after han was captured by a group of
unidentified armed men on his way home from work.
after being interviewed by the embassy about his abduction han is
expected to travel to the mediterranean island of malta to see his family
there and return to korea with them. whether or not han returns to his post in
libya is undecided for now... but
kotra says the decision is solely up to him .
it sure is a relief to know that he is now in safe hands.... for his family in
particular... it must have been a terrible time. but... i suppose the question on
everyone's lips will be whether a ransom was paid for his release
no there wasn't... although there were reports the kidnappers were asking
for as much as two-million u.s. dollars. seoul's foreign ministry says it's the korean
government's principle not to
pay ransoms for abductees and said the ministry in cooperation with the
libyan government poured all its efforts into securing han's release since
the day he was kidnapped. the rescue operation was led by libyan security
forces and they have
arrested the four kidnappers who are reported ly part of a small militia.
we don't know why han was taken in the first place but it's believed the
abduction was not ideologically or political ly motivated but that the
kidnappers were after money. most of libya has struggled with violence
and unrest in recent years
following the ouster and death of dictator muammar gaddafi... and there are
around 7-thousand such armed militias operating across the country... with
foreigners often being targeted for kidnap .
thank you sung-hee. that was our hwang sung-hee reporting live
on the safe release of han
seok-woo the korean trade official who was kidnapped in libya earlier this
week.