Skipper and crew member of cargo ship released by terrorists

Park Chul Hong, the skipper of the "Dongbang Giant 2", was greeted by the former Sulu governor Abdusakur Tan at Jolo airport in Sulu on Jan 14, 2017. He was held in captivity by the militant Abu Sayyaf group for nearly three months before he returned to Korea on Jan 15, a day after his release from the southern Philippine island of Jolo. Park Chul Hong arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 4:30 a.m. While the captain's health was not bad, he was to be hospitalised for thorough medical check-up. Park and Filipino crew Glenn Alindajao were released in the morning of Jan 14 by the Abu Sayyaf, under an arrangement negotiated with the help of rebels belonging to the Moro National Liberation Front. They were then flown out of the island by a presidential adviser on peace efforts. Their vessel was sailing to Australia from South Korea when 10 Abu Sayyaf terrorists boarded it in October 2016 and abducted Park and Alindajao. The government had not paid a ransom. The ship's owner negotiated with the terrorist group who allegedly threatened to kill the hostages unless it received a ransom. The Korean Foreign Ministry also supported the release effort alongside its Filipino counterpart.