lang: en
Summary
In 2007, three South Korean hostages held by the Taliban in Afghanistan began a ten-day hunger strike to demand that all 19 hostages be held together rather than separated. The Taliban never united the hostages, but the strike ended when all hostages were released on August 29, 2007, following negotiations between the South Korean government and the Taliban. The campaign achieved only partial success in its specific goal.
Tactics used
Tactics used
Background
On July 19, 2007, the Taliban took 23 South Korean Christian aid workers from the Sammeul Community Church hostage in Afghanistan. The hostages were initially kept together but later separated into groups of 3 and 4, moved 12 times to various locations in Ghazni Province. The Taliban executed two hostages, and the remaining 19 were held in up to five separate groups.
What happened
On August 19, 2007, three of the hostages (one man and two women) began a hunger strike to force the Taliban to bring all hostages together into one group [source: nv-database]. The Taliban had separated the hostages into as many as five groups in different locations in Ghazni Province [source: nv-database]. The hunger strike lasted ten days, ending on August 29, 2007, when the Taliban released all South Korean hostages after successful negotiations with the South Korean government [source: nv-database]. The Taliban never united the hostages during the strike [source: nv-database]. The South Korean government agreed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and discontinue missionary trips [source: nv-database]. The Taliban denied that the hostages had launched a hunger strike [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Taliban
- Abdullah Jan
- Bae Hyeong-gyu
- Shim Seong-min
- Sammeul Community Church
Outcome
Verdict: partial.
The campaign achieved partial success: the hostages were released, but the specific demand to unite all hostages was not met. The release was primarily due to government negotiations, though the hunger strike may have influenced the South Korean government to increase face-to-face meetings with the Taliban [source: nv-database].
Lessons
- A hunger strike can draw attention to a cause even when the immediate demand is not fully met.
- Nonviolent action by captives can complement external negotiations and increase pressure on captors.
- Limited resources and isolation do not prevent a campaign from having an impact.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py