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Korean Diplomat Heads to Afghanistan

A South Korean woman attends a candle light vigil in Seoul on Wednesday demanding the withdrawal of South Korean troops from Afghanistan and the safe return of their kidnapped compatriots.
A South Korean woman attends a candle light vigil in Seoul on Wednesday demanding the withdrawal of South Korean troops from Afghanistan and the safe return of their kidnapped compatriots.

A top Korean diplomat is heading to Afghanistan following the death of one of 23 South Korean missionaries held captive by the Taliban.

A police chief in the province where the South Koreans were kidnapped last week says he expects up to one-third of the hostages to be freed in the coming hours. He would not say what kind of deal is in the works, but he and others involved in the negotiations are more upbeat about the efforts now than they have been in the past.

The Taliban has extended the deadline for coming up with a plan until noon Friday. The head ofthe Afghan team trying to free the hostages says his government is reviewing the list of prisoners that the captors want to trade for hostages.

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However, Afghan President Hamid Karzai is reluctant to make the trade.

NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi-Nelson reports from Kabul — and Boston University Department of Theology Professor Chai-Sik Chung talks with Alex Cohen about Evangelical Christianity in South Korea.

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