청와대, 리비아 피랍 한국인 315일만에 무사 석방
South Korea's Presidential Office says.... a South Korean man who was abducted by armed militants in Libya last year has been released unharmed.
The man, identified by his surname Joo, will return to Korea on Saturday.
Shin Se-min reports.
A South Korean man ready to return home after 315 days of being held captive by militants in Libya.
The Presidential Office said Friday that the 62-year-old, identified by his surname Joo, had been freed unharmed on Thursday evening, Korea time.
He was a worker at a local water plant in Jabal Hassouna in south eastern Libya.
"Shortly after the man's abduction, our government created a task force team with the foreign ministry and National Intelligence Service at the center of it. We cooperated with allied governments including Libya, the U.S., the UK, France and Italy to help free the hostage."
The security chief also said the militants are a known criminal gang that operates in the region,... but details of the man's kidnapping and the conditions he was held in are still being investigated.
The top office said the United Arab Emirates played an active role in freeing the South Korean man,... referring back to a summit between President Moon Jae-in and the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan when they agreed to support Seoul's efforts to secure the man's release.
Chung said the UAE's foreign ministry looks to have coordinated closely with Libyan defense officials,... but no further details have been made public.
South Korea's presidential office reaffirmed it will come up with complementary measures to secure the safety of South Korean nationals in danger zones around the world to prevent similar cases happening again in the future.
Shin Se-min, Arirang News.
