Two South Korean female hostages were freed in central Afghanistan by Taliban militants on Monday afternoon, the first significant development in an enduring hostage crisis, officials said.

After a longtime ordeal in Taliban custody, the two hostages had been released and met South Korean officials in Ghazni city, the capital of Ghazni province, Shirin Mangal, provincial government spokesman, told the media.

Meanwhile, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong confirmed that two hostages, who are Kim Gina, 32, and Kim Kyung-ja, 37, have been released and moved to a safe area.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun vowed that his government would spare no efforts in releasing the other hostages.

Media reports said the two women would be flown back to South Korean soon after being medically checked.

TV pictures showed the hostages, who were wearing scarves, walked into a white vehicle of the International Committee for the Red Cross by themselves after they were released by Taliban militants.

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, once said the two hostages had been freed on Saturday night, but obviously he gave wrong information.

On Sunday night, Ghazni provincial governor Merajuddin Pattan said the hostages would be released on Monday morning, but the releasing did not occur until the afternoon.

The Taliban said the two female were freed as the Taliban leadership wanted to show a "good gesture" toward South Korean authorities.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Ahmadi insisted the remaining 19 hostages would not be released if the Taliban's demands for the liberty of some Taliban prisoners were not met.

Several South Korean diplomats and two Taliban delegates, who are Mullah Bashir and Mullah Nasratullah, have carried out face-to-face talks on the hostages in Ghazni city since Friday night. The talks apparently would continue.

A total of 23 South Koreans were kidnapped by Taliban militants on a road in Ghazni province on July 19.

Taliban rebels shot dead two male hostages on July 25 and July 30 separately to press Afghan and South Korean authorities to meet their demands.

The Afghan government has refused to release Taliban prisoners as the Taliban has demanded to exchange for the hostages.

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

Editor: Yan