S. Korean Taken Hostage: Given 24 Hours to Live!
BREAKING NEWS!
UPDATE: Oranckay provides the translation of the plea for release from the 365 civic groups under the ridiculous name of “Korean Network Against Dispatching Troops To Iraq.” The plea has reportedly been sent to various Arabic news agencies. Of course, Al Jazeera news is having a field day with the anti-US statements in the plea letter.
For earlier updates and commentary, scroll down.
A South Korean, reportedly named “Kim Song Il” was allegedly kidnapped by an al Qaeda operative in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In a two-minuted video, the terrorist hostage takers said, “Our message to the South Korean government and the Korean people: We first demand you withdraw your forces from our lands and not send more of your forces to this land. Otherwise, we will send to you the head of this Korean, and we will follow it by the heads of your other soldiers.”
The video released by the terrorists showed the Korean flailing his arms wildly and screaming in English at the camera: “Korean soldiers, please get out of here! I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I know that your life is important, but my life is important.”
Seoul is looking into the matter.
VIDEO AVAILABLE! Click here and click on the link at the bottom of the picture.
Yeonhap interview with Mr. Kim’s parents follows along with my quick translation:
심정이 어떤가.
How are you holding up?
나에겐 아들이 총재산이다. 욕심도 없고 성실하게 살아온 내 아들, 꼭 살아돌아와야 한다.
My son is my most prized possession. My son has lived unselfishly and honestly. He must return to us alive.
외교통상부로 가지 않고 왜 집으로 왔는가.
Why did you go to your home rather than to the Minsitry of Foreign Affairs?
아침 7시 뉴스를 보고 (아들 납치사실을) 알았다. 외교통상부로 부터 연락을 받지 못해 집으로 왔다. 기차안에서 외교통상부 장관으로부터 전화를 받았는데 `협상중이며 최선을 다하겠다’고 말하더라.
I first learned of my sons kidnapping while watching the 7am news. As I never received any communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I came home. While I was on the train, I received a call from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He said that they are in the middle of negotiations and they will do their best.
정부에 바라는 것은.
What do you hope for from the government?
일본처럼 적극 협상에 나서 살아 올 수 있도록 최선을 다해야 한다. 가족들을 모두 집으로 불러모아 상의할 생각이다.
They must do their best to negotiate his release so that he may come home alive as the Japanese did. We are thinking about calling all of the family members to our house to discuss the situation.
파병에 대한 생각은.
What are your thoughts about the troop dispatch to Iraq?
파병이 문제다. 지금 생각하니까 (아들이 살아 돌아오는데) 큰 문제다.
The troop dispatch is a problem. As I think about it now in relation to my son returning alive, it is a big problem
UPDATE: According to the Korea Times, the hostage’s name is Kim Sun-il and he is an employee of a Korean military-supplies provider for the U.S. army.
UPDATE: Pres. Roh says that the kidnapping will not affect the dispatch of South Korean troops to Iraq. However, a group of lawmakers said they would launch legislation aimed at scrapping the government’s troop deployment plan.
UPDATE: Roh government contradictory and confused? On the one hand, the Roh administration is saying tha tthe kidnapping will not affect the dispatch of troop. But, on the other had, the Roh administration is trying to figure out when the deadline is. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin told a news briefing.“We’re are trying to figure out what the deadline is. The side there is talking about the sunset, which can mean either tonight or early tomorrow morning.” Instead of finding out when this deadline is, try concentrating on where Mr. Kim is and how, if possible, to get him out before any possible deadline passes.
SICK UPDATE: Grotesque website, Ogrish, leads their front page with the headline: “LATEST 6/20/2004- Kim Sun-il Beheading Video Coming Up?” Koreans (and any other normal person) upset.(story in Korean)
UPDATE: Peter Oranckay is currently translating an appeal to Mr. Kim’s captors for an umbrella organization of 365 civic groups that are calling for th release of Mr. Kim. According to Oranckay, the hostage’s name is spelled “Kim Seon Il” rather than Kim Sun-il or Kim Son-il. Attention is being paid to the spelling of his name so that the captors will know that everyone is talking about the same person. [Are there others to be confused with?]
UPDATE: Confusion about Kim’s details. Al Jazeera reports that Kim is the 7th of 8 children. However, Korean news reports kim as being the 3rd of 5 children.
Also, It is reported that Americans and Europeans are also being held hostage along with Kim. This has not been confirmed by other governments.
UPDATE: Yonhap has brief interview with Kim’s parents. (in Korean) For my quick, free translation, scroll up to just below the main story.
COMMENTARY: The Roh administration is living in a fantasy land. Presidential spokesman Yoon Tai-young quoted Roh as telling aides, “We need to make efforts to explain (to Iraqis) that our troops will focus on reconstruction efforts without conducting hostile activities against Iraqi people.” Just what does Roh think this will change? The hostage takers are just going to say, “Oh. OK. Didn’t know that. Sorry about the hostage thingy. He can go. No hard feelings?”
Absent some HUGE miracle, Mr. Kim is going to die. It will then be up to the Roh administration to decide whether it will give in to the demands of lawless terrorists and abandon their plans to send more troops, whether Korean will simply follow through with its commitment to send additional troops, or whether Korea will send the additional troops and take the initiate and hunt down the scum that did this and assist with their eradication. To be continued…
Rathbone, over at Rathbone Press offers some good commentary on the Roh administration’s indecisiveness and lack of leadership. He also offers some suggestions for handling this incident.
DEVELOPING!