President Moon: "Relieved that the pirate-captured citizens returned safely... Public safety is the government's mission"

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in expressed on the 10th that he is "very pleased and relieved" about the safe release of a citizen who had been kidnapped by pirates near African waters, emphasizing that "protecting the lives and safety of our citizens is the government's foremost mission."

On the same day, through his Facebook and other social network services (SNS), President Moon wrote, "I console the hard work of overcoming the difficult situation without losing courage and hope, and welcome the safe return." He added, "I also extend encouragement and gratitude to the family members who believed in and waited for the government's efforts until the end despite their emotional distress."

The man in his 50s, who was kidnapped off the coast near Gabon, Africa, was released in the southern region of Nigeria on the 8th (local time), 37 days after the abduction.

President Moon stated, "The government immediately activated a 24-hour response system upon the kidnapping and has been making efforts for an early return," adding, "We closely cooperated among related agencies and frequently shared information with the governments of Gabon, Nigeria, and France while negotiating the release." He also said, "To avoid any possible burden on the return negotiations, we focused solely on the safe return in confidentiality," and "These efforts combined made the safe return possible."

President Moon praised "the hard work of related agencies and public officials who did their best," especially crediting "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Overseas Safety Protection Center and the staff of the local embassies." Furthermore, he expressed "special gratitude to the governments of Gabon, Nigeria, and France, who did not spare help and cooperation for the return of our citizen."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.