INCHEON, South Korea, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Two South Korean hostages held for about a month by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan returned home on Friday, a government official said.

The Taliban freed the two women hostages on Monday, the first captives to be released since they seized 23 Koreans from a bus in Ghazni province on the main road south from the capital Kabul last month.

They have killed two male hostages and said the release of the two women was a goodwill gesture.

The released Koreans, Kim Kyung-ja, a 37-year-old software company employee, and Kim Ji-na, 32, an animation instructor, arrived at Incheon airport, which serves Seoul, and will go to a hospital for medical checks.

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