SEOUL: South Korea pleaded for the international community to put human life ahead of other considerations as it yesterday mourned the death of a second captive by Taliban kidnappers.

The appeal by the South Korean president's office came after Afghan authorities recovered yesterday the body of 29-year-old Shim Sung-min shot dead by Taliban kidnappers who threatened to kill more of the 21 hostages if Kabul does not free rebel prisoners by 0730 GMT (3:30 pm, Beijing time) today.

The blood-stained body of the bespectacled man was dumped in a field of clover beside a road in Arzoo, a village some 10 km from the eastern city of Ghazni.

"If the Kabul administration and the Korean government do not give a positive reply to our demand about the release of Taliban prisoners by tomorrow 1200 (local time), then we will start killing other hostages," Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters by telephone from an unknown location.

"The (South Korean) government is well aware of how the international community deals with these kinds of abduction cases," said a statement from South Korean president's office.

"But it also believes that it would be worthwhile to use flexibility in the cause of saving the precious lives of those still in captivity and is appealing (to) the international community to do so."

Earlier this year, the Afghan government freed five Taliban prisoners in exchange for the release of an Italian newspaper reporter abducted by the extremist group. The move was harshly criticized by the United States and some European nations, with some arguing it would give the Taliban incentive to stage more kidnappings.

Seoul noted it did not have the power to comply with the Taliban demands "because it doesn't have any effective means to influence decisions of the Afghan government".

"The Korean government strongly condemns and urges an immediate end to (the kidnappers') heinous acts of killing innocent people in order to press for demands that it can't meet," the government said.

"The government makes it clear that it will not tolerate any further acts of harming innocent Koreans and holds the perpetrators responsible."

Afghanistan's stance

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said bowing to Taliban demands would encourage more kidnapping.

"We shouldn't encourage kidnapping by actually accepting their demands ... In this situation we are doing what is the best for the interests of the hostages, and government," Humayun Hamidzada told reporters, without elaborating.

"If we keep on responding positively to the demands of terrorists, we will face more problems," Hamidzada said.

Taliban spokesman Yousuf said Afghan negotiators had not contacted the Taliban since the second hostage was killed on Monday and said the insurgents suspected the Afghan government and foreign troops were planning a rescue bid.

Source: China Daily/agencies