World
9 S. Koreans kinapped in Nigeria, all in safe
WATCH VIDEO
Source: CCTV.com | 01-11-2007 08:39
 |
Seoul officials say the men are safe and they've already sent an ambassador to deal with the crisis. The attack on the base operated by Daewoo comes less than a week after five Chinese telecom workers were kidnapped for ransom, in another area of the volatile Niger delta.
The gunmen came in boats to the riverside base on the outskirts of Bayelsa state's capital of Yenagoa. They blew up part of an office building, leaving the ground littered with debris.
South Korea's Daewoo Engineering and Construction Company is working on a pipeline project in the area. It's confirmed that nine of its employees, all South Koreans, have been captured.
The men were taken from one section of their living quarters, which served as housing for seventeen South Koreans.
There's been no immediate claim of responsibility. But abductions for ransom are frequent in the Niger Delta.
In Seoul, Foreign Minister Song Min-soon held a news briefing.
 |
Song Min-Soon, S. Korean Foreign Minister, said, "I'm going to ask the Nigerian government for its best cooperation to solve the situation and to free the hostages promptly. We will continue to work with the Nigerian government."
The security situation is steadily worsening in the Niger Delta, which accounts for all oil production from OPEC member, Nigeria. The country is also the world's eighth-largest exporter of crude oil. But output has recently fallen because of repeated militant attacks.
Editor:Du Xiaodan
