Some South Korean hostages might be released by the Taliban before 12:00 p.m. (0730 GMT) on Friday, an Afghan tribal elder engaged in negotiations told Xinhua.

"I am hopeful that at least some South Korean hostages would be freed before Friday noon after some deals are made," Wahidullah Mujadadi said.

Meanwhile, a purported Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said the Taliban has given a new deadline for 22 South Korean hostages until 12:00 p.m. (0730 GMT) on Friday.

The Taliban would decide what to do next if its demands are not met, he added.

However, Ahmadi still stuck to the exchange of eight Taliban prisoners for eight hostages.

The Taliban killed one South Korean hostage on Wednesday and the dead body has been found by the police.

Ahmadi said the hostage was killed as Afghan authorities did not show enough sincerity in the talks and the Taliban also wanted to press the South Korean government to accept their demands.

The 23 South Koreans were kidnapped by Taliban militants on a road in the central Ghazni province on July 19.

Afghan and the U.S.-led coalition forces have cordoned off suspected Taliban hideouts in Qarabagh district of Ghazni to secure the release of the hostages.

Meanwhile, the Taliban spokesman, Ahmadi, said militants would execute all hostages if the troops recklessly carried out a storm.

The Taliban also demanded the withdrawal of 200 South Korean troops from this country. The South Korean government said the soldiers would be pulled out at the end of 2007 as scheduled.

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