Korean Hostage Will Be Beheaded if Korean Armed Forces Are Not Withdrawn

A militant group in Iraq has threatened to behead Kim Sun-il, 33-year-old employee of Gana General Trading Co., if the Korean armed forces do not withdraw from Iraq. Gana General Trading Co. supplies food materials to the U.S. military.

The militant group is called “Jamaat al-Tawhid and Jihad” – meaning Shield for Monotheism and Jihad - and has threatened in a videotape sent to the Arabic satellite TV station, Al Jazeera, that they will behead Kim in 24 hours if their demands for the withdrawal of Seohui and Jema Troops and the renunciation of the plan to send more troops are not met.

Al Jazeera broadcast the video in which Kim screamed, “Please get out of here. I don’t want to die.” Al Jazeera said that the videotape was mailed to its Baghdad office without identifying the sender.

In the two-minute long tape, Kim screamed that “my life is important” while standing and swinging his arms. The following minute, three masked terrorist men read their statement demanding the Korean government to “withdraw your forces from our land and not to send more of your forces. Otherwise, we will send you the head of this Korean.”

Afterwards, the terrorists gave 24 hours, until the next sunset in Iraq, to meet their demands. Due to the five-hour difference between Korea and Iraq, early morning on June 22 in Korea will be the critical point that will decide whether or not Kim will survive.

The militant group was known to have led several terrorist acts, including the beheading of American Nicholas Berg in May in Iraq.

Kim Choon-ho, CEO of Gana General Trading Co., said, “We have sent an Iraqi employee to negotiate his release, and we received an answer that Mr. Kim is safe,” adding, “ Kim is held along with 10 other hostages, including an European journalist and security employees.”

He also added that he found out about Kim’s being kidnapped along with another Iraqi employee after tracing Kim’s business trip on June 17 to a U.S. military base called Ribgee Camp, 200 km away from Baghdad, from which he did not return.

Jin Lee leej@donga.com