The Korean National Intelligence Services (NIS) director Kim Man-bok was spotted at a hotel in Kabul and would not out right deny that a ransom payment had been made:

South Korea’s spy chief on Sunday reacted ambiguously to foreign news reports alleging that Seoul had paid a hefty ransom to the Taliban in exchange for the release of Korean hostages in Afghanistan.

"I can say that foreign media speculation about a ransom trade (involving the Taliban) is wrong," Kim Man-bok, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), said, instead of giving an outright denial. [Yonhap]

The NIS would later issue a press release hailing Kim for helping release the hostages.  Does anyone else find it strange that the head of Korean intelligence is negotiating with a foreign terrorist group?  Can anyone imagine let’s say George Tenet holding direct negotiation with one of the terrorist groups that have kidnapped Americans before in Iraq?  Kim’s appearance in Kabul did not go unnoticed by Korean politicians either:

Kim’s gestures raised scathing comments from politicians yesterday.
“It just does not make sense that the nation’s head of intelligence would publicize to the world that he had negotiated with a terrorist group,” said Kim Jung-hoon, a Grand National Party member.
“There are stories now that he wanted the spotlight so that he could run for a parliament seat next year,” he said. “He made a fool of himself and his agency.”
The spy agency’s press release said Kim flew to Afghanistan over the objection of agency officials because “it was his obligation to protect and save the lives of the Korean people.” [Joong Ang Ilbo]

Sorry to break this to Kim Jung-hoon, but many nations in the world already think Korea’s stance on terrorism is a joke and the fact the NIS director was negotiating with them only further confirms this.   This is what Chung Dong-young had to say about Kim:

Chung Dong-young, a former member of the National Security Council, also said Kim’s behavior was inappropriate. “There are things that he should do and shouldn’t do,” Chung said. [Joong Ang Ilbo]

Chung is just jealous that he didn’t get the chance to parade for the cameras in Kabul like Kim did.  Kim Man-bok likely conducted this trip for two reasons; the first reason is to have fewer people in the beauracracy know about the ransom payment by directly negotiating with the Taliban himself.  This would make it easier for him to cover up the ransom payment with fewer people knowing about it.  The second reason is that he wants to parade for the cameras and try to make himself out as some kind of "hero" that saved the Korean hostages to further his own political ambitions. 

You have to remember that Kim Man-bok is a political partisan for Korean President Roh Moo-hyun who appointed him to cover up the Ilshimhoe Spy Scandal that had links into the liberal political parties including Roh Moo-hyun’s own party in Korea.  Kim’s appointed drew anger from across the political aisal because his appointment was clearly to cover up the spy scandal which he successfully did.  When the conservative opposition likely wins this year’s presidential election Kim is gone and he is using the hostage crisis to build his image and name recognition for a future run for a political office.

While Kim is parading around on TV a report has come out that confirms that a ransom payment was paid by South Korea for the release of the hostages:

The source, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitivities involved, said although he did not know about the exact ransom amount, the Taliban had demanded $10 million in the initial stage.

He said after the Afghan government’s refusal to entertain the Taliban demand regarding the prisoners’ swap, the two sides (Koreans and Taliban) engaged in ransom talks and the delay in release of the captives was caused because the Taliban wanted guarantees and the Korean side wanted scaling down of the demanded amount.

“Being among the mediators, I can tell you that the ransom amount given to the Taliban is round about $2 million," he said. The mediator rejected claims by a Taliban commander that they had received $20 million. He said he believed the amount is too much.

“They have been freed for only $2 million," he opined.

However, the Taliban commander, who wished to remain anonymous, told this correspondent over the telephone that they had received $20 million from the Korean delegation. He said the amount was paid after guarantees from a third country.

The commander said the third country was involved on the request of the Taliban so that the Korean side honor their commitment. He said the amount was paid to a party nominated by the Taliban. [Korea Times]

Hmmm, "guarantees from a third country"?  Could that country be Saudi Arabia?  If you look at all the Korean governmental claims that no ransom was paid they always clearly say no ransom was paid to the Taliban, which is technically correct.  Now when is someone in the Korean media going to ask them if a ransom was paid to Saudi Arabia?

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