A South Korean missionary couple, who were abducted by an unidentified group in Haiti, have been released over the weekend after 17 days in captivity, the foreign ministry said Monday.

The two Korean citizens were set free at 12:06 p.m. on Saturday (Haiti time) and left the country the following day to return home via a third country, the ministry said. They remain in good shape.

Soon after learning that the couple were kidnapped on the outskirts of Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince on June 24, the ministry ran a task force, led by Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon, to ensure an early release of the couple.

Last month, First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun also had a phone call with Haiti's interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph to call for his support for their release. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Lee In-ho, in charge of Haiti-related affairs, has met with officials from Haiti's police and other authorities.

Instability has persisted in the Caribbean country, as around 150 armed gangs are known to be in operation, with ransoms seen as their primary source of revenue. According to a civic group estimate, more than 3,000 abduction cases took place in 2020 alone.

Since February 2019, Seoul has already recommended citizens withdraw from the country due to political instability, which further worsened after President Jovenel Moise was killed in an attack Wednesday.

There are about 150 South Koreans in Haiti, many of whom work in the sewing industry in the country.

"While it is asking citizens in Haiti to refrain from going outside and take extra care for their safety, the government is providing flight information to them and recommending they quickly leave the country to safe areas," the ministry said in a press release. (Yonhap)