Treason of Seoul

South Korea has greatly put the Afghan mission in danger. They did the one taboo in international politics, negotiating with terrorists. As such, the lives of both civilian and military personnel in Afghanistan, including Canadians, have been put in great danger.
Back in February 2002, South Korea sent a token amount of 99 troops on the mission. Canada has about 2500 troops in the country and is one of the few that allowed to actively engage the Taliban. If South Korea wanted out, there were better ways to do so. They weren't doing anything useful anyway. You really can't with so few in such a large country.

This past summer, several Korean Christian missionaries were captured by the Taliban and held for ransom. As difficult and seemingly heartless a concept to grapple, the responsible thing to do would have been to allow them to be killed. It's a very difficult decision for a government to make because on one hand you have citizens and family from your own country demanding action while on the other, you have to look out for the greater good. By not negotiating and allowing them to either be killed or forcing their release, you loose moral high ground domestically but gain it internationally. Negotiating with terrorism serves the opposite effect, and also sends a powerful message to the criminal actors. You're basically saying that terrorism works. The Taliban now believe that this is an effective means of getting their way.

The Taliban itself has one goal, to restore itself as the rulers of Afghanistan. Most Afghans don't seem to want this. Before 2001, the Taliban regime was perhaps the most oppressive government in the world, perhaps exceeding the brutality of the North Koreans. The difference between the Taliban and Kim Jong Il is that at least the later tries to cover up atrocities. Since then, a small amount of progress has been made. Small in North American eyes anyway yet huge to the people there. Not without struggle and dissent within the country of course but nobody said it would be all smiles and sunshine. Military strikes have been making dents in the Taliban, weakening their resolve. Then South Korea does this. Effectively that act boosted the morale of the Taliban, they will fight harder, more brutally, and use more terror tactics. You'll see plenty of Iraqi style kidnappings and murders after this point in conjunction with the increasingly popular roadside bombing tactic. (As a side note, the Taliban likely does not know much about what's going on in Iraq and the tactics their counterparts are using.)

Make no mistake, the South Korean government is responsible for what will inevitably come. They have put everyone in that country at serious risk. I think its important to note that the group that was there, a Christian mission group, should not have been there to begin with and despite any good work they were doing. Naturally, the Taliban would assume they were trying to convert Afghans to Christianity, which is likely what made them a target. They were almost asking to be captured. When it comes to war like this, there are no rules. Korea must be held responsible, either financially or through some other means, for any future problems their actions will cause.