Look: Real-life K-drama as freed South Korean hostages arrived in Dubai 18 years ago

It was a real-life K-drama that thankfully did not end tragically. On this day 18 years ago, August 31, 2007, 19 South Koreans — 15 men and four women — who were held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan for about six weeks, safely arrived at the Dubai International  Airport.

The South Korean Christian volunteers were part of a group of 23 missionaries sent by a church in suburban Seoul who were kidnapped in southeast Afghanistan in mid-July 2007.

Relieved and comforted, the freed hostages, who arrived aboard a Kam Airline flight, shared hugs and shed tears as they were received by then South Korean ambassador to the UAE, Joon Jae-Lee, some UAE officials, and a large number of media personnel.

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August 31, 2007: Freed South Korean hostages Lyu Kyung-Sik (left), Seo Myung-Hwa (centre), and Ko Se-Hoon (right) speak to media representatives upon their arrival at the airport terminal in Dubai. Photo: AFP 

As reported by Khaleej Times, the group spent a couple of hours at the airport to complete immigration formalities as they did not possess passports. They were later transferred to Dusit Thani Dubai. 

An official from the South Korean embassy expressed happiness over the release of his compatriots and said that their families were desperately waiting for them. The official described the freed hostages as “tired, shocked, and weak due to weight loss."

Two of the released Koreans told the media that they were moved from place to place during captivity. They lived in constant fear for their lives and were split up into small groups and shuttled around the Afghan countryside to avoid detection.  

August 31, 2007: Freed South Korean hostages board a coach outside the airport upon their arrival in Dubai, where they are scheduled to stay overnight before flying to South Korea on September 1. Photo: AFP

Another freed Korean said he felt lucky to have survived the ordeal as he was kept with three other hostages, two of whom were later killed by the captors.  

According to reports, “the kidnapping was the largest conducted by the Taliban against foreigners. They decided to free the hostages after Seoul agreed to pull all its nationals out of the central Asian country.”  

The freed South Koreans departed for their country via Korean Air flight on September 1, 2007.

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