http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22325974-401,00.html

Taliban agree to release Korean hostages
By Jan Agha in Ghazni, Afghanistan
August 29, 2007
Article from: Reuters

TALIBAN insurgents will release 19 South Korean Christian volunteers they have held for nearly six weeks, provided Seoul pull out its troops and stop Korean missionary work in Afghanistan by year-end.

South Korea’s presidential Blue House issued a statement earlier setting out the terms of the agreement.

Taliban representative Qari Mohammad Bashir confirmed a deal had been struck.

But the Taliban demands did not include their main previous condition - the release of a group of militants held prisoner by the Afghani Government.
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I’m not sure how the Korean govt can promise to stop missionary activity by their citizens.

It is wonderful news for the hostages and their families. However, it may come at a great cost. A public report by Christian Consulting International, an organisation which deals with such situations says this was a major success for the Taliban as they gain recognition from a foreign government. It will raise their political influence.

It also will greatly increase the danger to missionaries in many situations and increase the likelihood of further kidnappings.

They state “The implications are serious and predictable.  We can expect to see additional future kidnappings of Christian workers (whether missionaries or relief workers) with attendant demands that Christian workers leave the area.  The patterns of terrorist activities in general and the patterns of hostage events specifically indicate that actions that succeed are repeated.  This Taliban kidnapping succeeded (perhaps not with the original goal, but with a result of arguably equal or greater impact).  Others will desire to replicate it, and some will almost certainly attempt to do so.”

This is a serious matter that needs our prayer.

Thanks Phil. Some sober thoughts to direct our prayers

In Korea, there seems to be a significant push to blame the Korean Christian churches for this rather than the Taliban terrorists.

This is part of an editorial today from the English-edition web site of the largest circulation Korean newspaper chosun:

Lessons Learned from the Afghan Hostage Crisis

The 19 Korean hostages in Afghanistan started being set free on Wednesday after talks over their release ended successfully. The Taliban demanded that Korea cease all missionary work in Afghanistan, and our government promised to do so. The Christian Council of Korea and the Korea National Council of Churches said they would honor this agreement and pledged to follow the government’s policy.

Two young men lost their lives in this crisis. Korea suffered considerable losses, as the entire country was stuck in a quagmire for 40 days. And 48 million Koreans had to go through the nightmare of daily threats by the Taliban to kill the hostages. Amid the horror of the situation, there are many thoughts Koreans kept to themselves, mindful of the urgency facing the hostages whose lives were at the mercy of the Taliban. Most of those thoughts are questions aimed at Christian churches in Korea.
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It is time for Christian churches in Korea to reflect on this problem. They must voice responsible words after putting deep thought into how they should go about spreading their faith around the world, while at the same time respecting the pride and identities of those adhering to different beliefs.

For this to happen, Christian churches need to engage in some frank discussion over how they intend to view this incident. And only if they find solutions following such discussions to ensure this type of incident will not happen again can the diplomatic and financial losses of the Korean government and the psychological sufferings of the public be justified.
[My bold]

I think we should also pray for God’s Spirit to guide the leaders of the Korean Christian churches who are obviously facing challenges in their nation’s culture.

just a quick update:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22338563-401,00.html

Taliban frees last of South Korean hostages

It will be interesting to see how the Korean churches handle the aftermath of the hostage crisis in Afghanistan. Here’s an article saying there may be a spiritual fight regarding missions.

Here’s the Washington Post story that the SMH is running ;

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/missionaries-greeted-by-relief-and-anger/2007/09/02/1188671797204.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Missionaries greeted by relief and anger
Blaine Harden in Seoul
September 3, 2007

LOOKING wan and exhausted, and apologising for the trouble they had caused their nation, South Korean missionaries held hostage for six weeks in Afghanistan arrived home early yesterday morning.
The 19 young Christians released last week by Taliban captors returned to a country thankful for their safe return but angered by what has been widely portrayed as the recklessness of the missionaries and the church that sent them into a war zone.......... 

And from SBS World News Australia:

S.Korean ex-hostages come home

More matters for prayer…

TZ.