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[Newsmaker] Woman rescued from militants in Africa returns home

May 14, 2019 - 16:41 By Choi He-suk
A South Korean woman rescued from militants in Burkina Faso, West Africa, returned to Korea on Tuesday. The woman, whose identity has been withheld, returned from Paris aboard an Asiana Airlines flight. 

Korean woman (center) and French nationals rescued from militants speak to the media at a French military airbase on Saturday. Yonhap

She was met by a joint investigation team consisting of personnel from the National Intelligence Service and other concerned government organizations.

According to reports, the woman was to be questioned about the circumstances of her kidnapping, and other matters related to her captivity. She does not face any criminal allegations.

The woman was rescued in a French military operation last week, along with two French nationals and a US citizen. She is said to have been held captive for some four weeks. Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been unaware of the woman’s situation until she was rescued by French soldiers, two of whom were killed during the operation.

The rescued woman did not respond to questions from the media regarding the soldiers killed during the rescue mission, but said she was in good health.

She also declined to answer questions about the purpose of her trip and the circumstances of her kidnapping. The woman was reportedly on a trip across the world when she was taken hostage.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)