Two Korean workers kidnapped by gang in Haiti freed

Two Korean workers kidnapped by a gang in Haiti have been released, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday, the second of them freed after a month in captivity.

The two individuals, employees of a Korean company, were seized in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, on July 31. One was released on Aug. 18 and the other on Tuesday afternoon. Both are in good health, the ministry said.

The two were under local police escort when they were taken. One of the officers guarding them was shot dead during the abduction.

Korea has no resident mission in Haiti, and its embassy in the Dominican Republic covers the country. The ministry set up a task force for the protection of Korean nationals abroad after the kidnapping was reported to the embassy in the Dominican Republic and sent an interagency rapid response team that worked with Haitian police and the diplomatic missions of friendly countries to secure the abductees' release.

Korea placed a travel ban on Haiti in May 2024, when gang violence had left the country effectively ungoverned. Anyone staying there needs government permission, which the two men had obtained in order to work.

About 40 Koreans are in Haiti.

"We have urged nationals staying there to move to safe areas and to keep unnecessary movement outside to a minimum to prevent a recurrence," the ministry said.

BY JUNG SI-NAE [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]