A South Korean woman attends a candle light vigil in Seoul. Taliban rebels in Afghanistan have killed one of their 23 South Korean hostages, officials said, and set a "final deadline" for the government to meet demands for a prisoner swap. (Xinhua Photo)

One male South Korean hostage was killed in Afghanistan by Taliban militants on Wednesday, the police said.

"We have found the body of a killed male South Korean hostage in Ghazi," police chief of the central Ghazni province Alishah Ahmadzai told Xinhua.

A total of 23 South Korean hostages were captured by Taliban militants in Ghazni on July 19 and were being held in the province.

Meanwhile, a purported Taliban spokesman said Taliban fighters have not freed eight female South Korean hostages on Wednesday.

This saying is contrary to the reports of South Korean media, which quoted some unnamed South Korean officials as saying that eight female hostages had been released.

The Taliban spokesman Ahmadi said the male hostage was killed as Afghan authorities did not show enough sincerity in the talks.

Ahmadi said Taliban fighters killed him also to press the South Korean government to accept their demands.

The Taliban probably would kill more hostages at 1 a.m. local time on Thursday (2030 GMT on Wednesday) if its demands are not met, he added.

Taliban militants have carried out kidnappings in this country over the past two years frequently, and some hostages were killed by the Taliban brutally.

Editor: Yan