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S. Korea probe into Iraq hostage death
(Aegncies)
Updated: 2004-06-26 14:23 South Korea's parliament is to open a formal
investigation into Seoul's failed attempts to rescue a Korean hostage beheaded
in Iraq by an armed Islamic group.
The parents of Kim
Sun-il react after hearing of their son's death.
[AP] | The decision came hours before the body of Kim Sun-Il, 33, was set to arrive
here, with public anger over the killing and the government's alleged
mishandling of the case reaching boiling point.
Two rival political parties, the ruling Uri Party and the opposition Grand
National Party, agreed to open the inquiry to "get to the bottom of the case,"
said Lee Jong-Kul, deputy parliamentary leader of the Uri Party.
"There will be no sanctuary in this probe. We will look into all government
agencies concerned," Lee said.
The probe will begin in earnest around July 10 after summonses being sent to
witnesses, he said.
A video image
released June 22, 2004 by Al Jazeera and S. Korean TV shows one of the
kidnappers read a statement addressed to the Korean people, blaming the
tragedy for the South Korean government's fault in sending army to Iraq.
| Kim's body was found dumped on a road west of Baghdad on Tuesday after he was
killed by militants belonging to the Tawhid wa al-Jihad (Unification and Holy
War) group led by Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi and blamed by Washington for numerous
attacks in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Media reports said Kim was abducted on May 31, nearly three weeks earlier
than previously reported, and that diplomats may have been informed before
militants issued their demands through Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based satellite
news channel, on Sunday.
The foreign ministry said it knew nothing of the kidnapping until it saw the
Al-Jazeera broadcast.
However, controversy is swirling around reports that Kim's employer in Iraq,
another Korean Kim Chun-Ho, visited the embassy in Baghdad four times between
his disappearance and the date of the broadcast.
This undated
handout picture shows South Korean Kim Sun-il who was kidnapped by Iraqi
militants in Falluja, in Iraq on June 17. [Family
Photo/Handout] | Questions are also being raised about a new video tape of Kim that was sent
to a western news agency in Baghdad before Kim's abduction was made public.
The Associated Press said it telephoned the foreign ministry here on June 3
to check whether a South Korean had been kidnapped or reported missing in Iraq
and was told that Seoul was "not aware" of any such case.
The foreign ministry on Friday confirmed the call was made but not reported
to higher authorities. The confirmation further fueled public outrage, according
to local media.
The killing has further polarized the country between anti-US and opponents
of the war on one side and US supporters on the other.
Pro- and anti-war demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday in cities
across the country.
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