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Seoul denies paying money to bogus Taliban group
By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- The office of President Roh Moo-hyun on Friday denied a U.S. magazine report alleging that the Korean government was defrauded of some money by a bogus Taliban group pretending to be kidnappers of Korean hostages last month.
The weekly magazine Newsweek, citing what it called a reliable senior Taliban commander, reported in its latest edition that a newly arrived South Korean envoy, a Ghazni member of parliament and some government negotiators may have been talking to a bogus Taliban group posing as the kidnappers. The report said that the bogus group received money from South Korea.
Flatly denying the report, Roh's spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said the Korean government has never paid money to the Taliban insurgents now holding 21 Korean hostages.
"The government has never engaged in talks with a bogus Taliban group. The Newsweek report is groundless," Cheon said.
Cheon then reconfirmed that direct communications between Korean government negotiators and the Taliban are still underway.
"The Korean government is not a in a position to give a direct answer to the Taliban's demand that its prisoners be swapped for Korean hostages. Through the direct contacts, we intend to stress that our capabilities to meet Taliban demands are limited," said Cheon.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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