Hostage Families May Visit U.S. to Plea for Help

Tragic news of hostage deaths and false reports of a military rescue operation coupled with unrelenting stress and sleep deprivation have the family members of the Korean Christian hostages considering a visit to Washington or Kabul to directly plea for help.Options are running out for the group of 21 remaining Korean Christian hostages,who have entered their third week of captivity.Negotiations are stalled and Afghanistan has publicly refused to submit to the Taliban’s main demand-the release of rebel prisoners in exchange for the captives.Exhausted and powerless,the families are discussing the possibility of heading to either or both the US and Afghanistan to urge the two nations to bolster their efforts to secure the release of the hostages.“We still lay our hope on the government’s negotiations.But we are so desperate,”said Cha Sung-min,the representative of the families and the brother of abductee Cha Hye-jin,according to The Korea Times Thursday.“We want to visit both Kabul and Washington to directly seek their help,”he said.Cha acknowledges that travel to Afghanistan may be impossible after South Korea asked Afghanistan to ban all its citizen from entering the country.The families have informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the South Korean government about their intention,but the government has not yet given a
clear reply.“If the visit to Afghanistan is unavailable,we may choose the U.S.,”Cha noted.Family members of the Korean hostages are suffering along with the victims in Afghanistan,withreports of parents passing out and being hospitalized from the emotional strain.One hostage’s family member,who asked to remain anonymous,said,“I try to sleep so that I don’t pass out,but I just can’t sleep.I’m bearing so much,just thinking about my kidnapped child,”according to Chosun
Ilbo-South Korea’s largest newspaper.Family members have dark circles under their eyes and carry weary faces as they take turns with vigils each night.Stress is especially high each time a deadline approaches.“They are suffering from severe indigestion and heart pains due to the continued mental trauma,”said Dr. Cha Byeong-ho,who is looking after the health of the families at the hostages’ home church in Bundang,just south of the South Korean capital Seoul,according to Chosun Ilbo.
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