Freed Hostages Apologize to Korea

After their release by Taliban kidnappers in Afghanistan, Kim Gyeong-ja and Kim Ji-na arrived at Incheon International Airport on August 17.

They were released on August 13, 25 days after being kidnapped on July 19 in Afghanistan, where they went as part of a charity works church group on July 13.

The two Kims were unaware of the death of late pastor Bae Hyeong-gyu (47), the head of the church group, and Shim Seong-min (29) until they were informed of the news right before getting on the plane for Seoul. They were so shocked by the news that they looked grief-stricken all the way home.

Their arrival-

The Asiana OZ768 flight with the two Kims on board landed on Incheon International Airport at 12:19 p.m., 20 minutes later than its supposed arrival time. In front of the entrance, gate A was swarmed by around 100 journalists and airport staff. However, the two released hostages did not appear until all the other passengers deplaned. They emerged from Gate 12 with swollen eyes, but they seemed healthy enough to walk without help.

When asked about how they felt about returning home, Kim Gyeong-ja said in trembling voice, “We are deeply sorry for causing concern. We were released thanks to the efforts of the government and the Korean people, so we are very grateful. I hope all the other remaining hostages are released soon.”

Kim Ji-na, who kept her head down throughout the interview, made one comment, saying, “I apologize for causing concern for so many people and thank you for your help. All we want is to see the remaining people get released.”

They made no further comment on other questions and headed for the mooring area soon afterward.

At the airport, they were greeted by Kim Gyeong-shik (38), the brother of Kim Gyeong-ja, Kim Ji-ung (35), the brother of Kim Ji-na, and the head of the families of the hostages, Cha Seong-min (30).

In their brothers’ arms after returning from the brink of death, the two Kims wept in relief.

Although their brothers were trying to calm down the two women, it seemed hard for them to stop their tears.

They climbed into an ambulance waiting for them at the airport and headed to a military hospital in Seongnam City, south of Seoul, for medical check-ups.

Seven-hour flight-

After being released, the Kims stayed at Korea’s Dongui Medical Unit at Bagram Air Base, Ghazni, Afghanistan; on August 16 they departed for New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where they boarded an Asiana Airlines flight to Korea.

Perhaps due to the guilt of leaving their 19 fellow group members in Afghanistan, they did not smile even one time during the seven-hour flight.

What is more, they did not know until August 16 about the death of the late pastor Bae Hyeong-gyu and Shim Seong-min. When they were still in captivity, they heard from the Taliban that, “Shim went to Seoul.” So they had thought Shim Seong-min was released. After learning about the death, the two were so shocked that they hardly ate their in-flight meals, and did not sleep.

For its part, the government kept security tight by not putting the two Kims’ names on the passenger list until right before they got on the plane. Even at the airport, in order to protect them and limit their contact with other ordinary passengers, the government rented the entire VIP room right next to a boarding gate.