A South Korean man who was abducted by a radical Islamic group returned to Korea on Sunday after being released from an island near Malaysia where he was under detention for nearly three months, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said. 

The Korean captain was kidnapped by the Philippines-based terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, which attacked his cargo vessel on Oct. 20 near Borneo, Malaysia. A Filipino crew member was also seized. Both had been held hostage for ransom until their release Saturday. 

Their ship owner negotiated with the terrorist group who allegedly threatened to kill the hostages unless it received the ransom. The Korean Foreign Ministry also supported the release effort alongside its Filipino counterpart. 

“We understand that the captain’s health is not bad, but he would be hospitalized for thorough medical check-up,” said a ministry official on condition of anonymity. The captain arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 4:30 a.m.

Abu Sayyaf is a Jihadist terrorist group based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines. Since its inception in 1991, the group has carried out bombings and kidnappings in what they describe as their fight for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines.

In 2004, the group bombed Superferry 14, one of the Philippines’ deadliest terror attacks, which killed 116 people including children. In November, a Korean man was found dead nine months after being kidnapped by the group.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)