Asia summit calls to free SKorea hostages

MANILA (AFP) - Asia's annual security summit opened here Thursday with a message of support for Seoul and a call for the 21 South Korean hostages held by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan to be released.

Foreign ministers from nearly 30 countries extended their sympathy to South Korea and the families of the hostages, and expressed "deepest regret at what has happened," Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said.

"We all wish that the remaining 21 hostages be returned to their families as soon as possible," he said in a statement to begin the yearly ASEAN Regional Forum, where South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon was in attendance.

Song thanked his colleagues for the "warm encouragement and sympathy extended to us."

"We hope for your continued support for the early and safe resolution of this crisis," he said.

The hardline Islamist Taliban took 23 South Koreans hostage on July 19. Two of them have been killed, and the militia have threatened to execute the rest unless the government frees at least eight of its men from Afghan jails.