Seoul envoy to aim for hostage release in Libya

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

Seoul is sending a special envoy to Libya to help free a South Korean citizen who was abducted last month along with at least two Filipino engineers.

They were kidnapped on July 6 at a water plant in the western region of Jabal Hasouna.

The South revealed last week that it had deployed a warship to the North African country, after undated footage of the abductees was posted on social media.

It remains unclear which group was behind the kidnapping, while reports have given conficting figures on the number of Filipino abductees.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is dispatching diplomat Baik Joo-hyeon to Libya, according to a government official cited by local news agency Yonhap.

Baik has experience in solving two previous kidnapping incidents off Somalia.

Seoul has also joined the Libyan government in asking a risk management consulting firm to help locate the hostages.

"The results of the analysis are in use for efforts to secure their release," the official was quoted as saying.

The South is also said to be closely liaising with the Philippines, which is additionally sending a “high-level task force” to coordinate with the Libyan government in the rescue of the Filipino engineers, presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced Tuesday.

“We have formed a high-level all-Cabinet member team to deal with the Libyan government and help in the effort," said Roque as quoted by the state-run Philippine News Agency.

The announcement was made days after Duterte said he might send frigates to Libya following South Korea’s deployment of a warship to secure its national.

The task force is composed of Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Abdullah Mamao, and Mindanao Development Authority chief Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto.

Roque emphasized that the decision was reached because it would be more prudent to work with the Libyan government since the kidnappers are not state agents of Libya.