한국 내 동결 이란 자금 송금 양측 수감자 맞교환
A prisoner swap deal "months in the making" has been completed between the U.S. and Iran following the release of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea under U.S. sanctions.
Seoul hopes better relations with Tehran, while Washington thanks Seoul for this hostage release.
Our Choi Min-jung reports.
The United States and Iran have completed a rare prisoner swap deal,.. after billions of U.S. dollars of Iranian funds frozen in South Korea were released.
In a statement on Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden said five Americans are finally coming home.
They had been in Iran for nearly a decade, detained on a number of allegations including espionage.
Separately, Iran's state-run media reported that five Iranians,.. who had been charged with crimes in the U.S., are now free.
Citing sources, Reuters said the swap happened after both sides confirmed that around 6 billion dollars of frozen Iranian assets were transferred from South Korea to Qatar, with Qatar being the mediator of the U.S.-Iran talks.
Seoul's foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed that the funds had been successfully transferred to Qatar.
The money had been locked in South Korea due to sanctions imposed by the U.S., following its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018.
It has become one of the main reasons behind South Korea and Iran's thorny relations, as Tehran has long been demanding that South Korea release the funds.
That being said, South Korea expressed hopes to mend ties with Iran.
"The government hopes that relations between South Korea and Iran will further develop following the transfer of the frozen funds.
However, there seems to be rising tensions as to how the funds will be used.
Iran's foreign ministry, claimed complete access to them, saying they would be used according to its needs.
U.S. officials have stressed that the assets can be used,.. only for humanitarian purposes, and that all transactions will be monitored by the U.S. Treasury Department.
South Korea's foreign ministry has also underlined that the funds transferred to Qatar will be used for humanitarian uses such as purchasing medicine.
Meanwhile, Biden thanked South Korea and other countries involved for helping the detained Americans return home.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also thanked South Korea, for its "close coordination and partnership."
Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.
#UnitedStates #Iran #Swapdeal #Prisoner #미국 #이란 #자금 #수감자_맞교환 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스
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2023-09-19, 18:00 (KST)
