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More Urgent Than the Japanese Abduction

Posted June. 21, 2004 22:21,   

한국어

As news of the kidnapping case of Kim Sun-il has broken, major overseas news agencies have broadcast, through the internet and broadcasting networks, detailed breaking news of his abduction with a photograph taken at the scene of his screaming cry videotaped by his captors. Because the kidnapping case occurred on June 20 (local time), which is Sunday, the official standpoint of the U.S. government has not yet been announced. However, the U.S. press seems to be sensitive about the influence of this case that may be exerted on Korea’s additional troop dispatch to Iraq.

--Atmosphere in Washington

“We cannot confirm anything because we’re still investigating the facts,” stated an official of the U.S. Department of Defense, adding, “I think the U.S. armed forces in Iraq will touch on this case.”

The U.S. Department of Defense, which addressed an announcement of gratification by saying, “Thank you for a meaningful contribution” after the Korean government had confirmed the additional dispatch of armed forces to Iraq on June 18, is expected to clarify its standpoint towards the kidnapping case of Kim by going through a countermeasure conference on June 21.

In the afternoon on June 20, when the case of kidnapping was known, the employees of the Korean embassy in Washington were busy recognizing the situation, making contact with the U.S. Department of Defense, Korea’s National Defense Ministry, and National Security Council of Korea in diverse respects.

“The terrorists have set a time limit merely at 24 hours and have set the condition of the entire withdraw of the Korean armed forces from Iraq,” said a high-level diplomat, showing anxiety by saying “In contrast to the Japanese kidnapping that occurred back in April, it is a pressing urgency.”

--Reactions of overseas news agencies

The U.S.’s news-specialized cable television networks such as CNN and FOX have reported the kidnapping case of Kim at every news hour, focusing on the fact that it occurred just after the announcement of additional troop dispatch of Korea to Iraq.

Peter Berger, a terrorism analyst who appeared on CNN, said, “After the terrorist act on the Spanish trains, some of the allied countries including Spain have evacuated their troops from Iraq. The kidnappers are intentionally forming unstable conditions in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in order to put pressure upon Korea to make it pull its troops out of Iraq.”

“In spite of the final note of the kidnappers, the Korean government has disclosed that it will maintain its decision on the additional troop dispatch to Iraq,” reported Bloomberg News, adding, “Because of this incident, President Roh Moo-hyun has been placed between his commitment to the U.S. to send more troops to Iraq, and the opposing public opinion against the troop dispatch which has been stirred by the U.S. armed force’s flagrant ill-treatment of the war prisoners in Iraq, facing a dilemma.”

“In Korea, there is intensive opposition against the additional troop dispatch to Iraq,” reported the Associated Press, pointing at survey outcomes released by a Korean daily magazine that the opposition overwhelms approval at the level of 57.5 percent to 40 percent, respectively.

“There is a high possibility that the kidnappers belong to the organizations of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which beheaded the 26-year-old U.S. citizen Nicholas Berg back in May,” reported CNN, saying, “these people are trying to kidnap and attack the foreigners in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in order to create an unstable atmosphere there.”

“This case will become a burden to the Korean government which is led by President Roh, by raising voices against the troop dispatch to Iraq step by step,” predicted the Kyodo News of Japan. Additionally, NHK has continuously televised the intimidating video of Al Jazeera which contains the scene of Iraqi armed militants threatening Kim.

Quoting the video of Al Jazeera, the Chinese state-owned news agency, Xinhua News, has also reported the news of Korean hostage having been kidnapped as breaking news without any further comment.



Soon-Taek Kwon Young-Sik Kim maypole@donga.com spear@donga.com