Welcome the release of all hostages!

Finally after 6 weeks of apprehension and anxiety, all the hostages held by the Talibans were all released yesterday.

On 19th July, the Taliban captured 23 and killed two of them days later as the government rejected their demand for militant prisoners to be freed from jail.

The Taliban militia announced on Tuesday that it had agreed to free its 19 remaining hostages following South Korea's promise to withdraw its military force from Afghanistan, as planned, and ban missionary groups from the country.

The father of Shim Sung-Min, one of the two South Korean hostages killed in Afghanistan, strongly criticised the Seoul church which had organised the ill-fated aid trip.

He said he felt "deeply irritated" at the recklessness of the church in pushing through with the humanitarian project in Afghanistan despite concerns over the safety of the volunteers and warnings from the government.

"I wonder why the church was so reckless in taking them to the dangerous country. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, moving in such a conspicuous manner. They travelled on a dangerous road at night in a bus."

Well, I guess no one can blame him for his outrage, this man had just lost his son. Picture on the right: Mother of Shim Sung-Min.