A man holds a mask and a candle during a protest demanding negotiations between the U.S. government and the Taliban for the safe return of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, near the U.S. embassy in Seoul, August 2, 2007. The South Korean government is under intense pressure to bring the captives home but concedes it has few cards to play. The United States has said it does not make concessions to terrorists but lawmakers are hoping Washington might make an exception to help bail out an ally which has sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.