The Nation Conveys its Deepest Condolences In Response to Kim’s Death

The nation on Wednesday was overwhelmed by deepest condolences to the heartbreaking death of Kim Sun-il, who was abducted and killed by Iraqi insurgents.

Moreover, civic coalitions launching campaigns against the troop dispatch to Iraq held a massive candlelight rally to call for a suspension of the plan to dispatch additional troops to Iraq.

--A surge of condolences throughout the nation.

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where Kim graduated from, prepared temporary altars to pay respects to the beheaded Kim in both the Seoul and Youngin campuses, and Ahn Byong Man, president of the university, sent floral tributes to the home of Kim to convey his deepest condolences. A temporary altar was also arranged in front of the Kyobo Building in Kwanghwamoon, Seoul.

Cherishing the memory of the deceased was even more intensified in off-line mediums. More than 30 communities have been formed in “Daum,” a portal site operated in Korea, to present their condolences to Kim. Condolence messages, which amount to 7,000-8,000 an hour, have been posted on the bulletin boards of “Cyworld.”

Furthermore, those who use internet messengers demonstrated their condolences by attaching a ribbon, “▶◀” in front of their IDs, which were used in such incidents as the killing of teenage schoolgirls by an American armored personnel carrier and the impeachment of President Roh Moo Hyun.

A person with an internet screen name of "Operacomik" proposed to “wear black clothes for three days when the body of Kim Sun-il returns to Korea.”

--Opposition to troop dispatch to Iraq heightens.

The “Urgent People’s Movement Against the Troop Dispatch to Iraq,” which consists of 365 civic coalitions including the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), held a press conference in the National Assembly and submitted a resolution to the National Assembly to suspend and reconsider the plan to send troops to Iraq.

The coalition organized a candlelight rally with approximately 2,000 participants and requested the government “immediately suspend the plan to dispatch troops to Iraq to prevent further tragedies similar to that of Kim.’’ Furthermore, the coalition plans to arrange a gathering to present condolences to Kim throughout the nation this Saturday.

The PSPD demanded that “the National Assembly must conduct a public investigation to examine the alleged concealments of Kim’s abduction” concerning allegations that Kim may have been kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents on May 30, rather than June 17, as confirmed by the Seoul government, and that the Korean Embassy may have been aware of the kidnapping beforehand.

The Citizen’s Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) pointed out “the kidnappers threatened to execute Kim on the condition that the Korean government withdraw its plan to dispatch troops to Iraq within 24 hours. Under such urgent circumstance, it is disappointing that the initial reaction from the Korean government was a get-tough stance with its plan to dispatch 3,000 soldiers, which demonstrates the government’s responsibility for the death.”

Approximately 20 human rights and civic coalitions including the Solidarity for Peace and Human Rights and the Lawyers for Democratic Society demanded an immediate suspension of the plan to send additional troops and a withdrawal of troops that have already been dispatched to Iraq.

However, conservative coalitions including the Organization for Ending North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and the Free Citizens’ Alliance of Korea insisted, “canceling the troop dispatch plan would be an act of subordination to the threats of the terrorists. Instead, we need to locate and punish those terrorists responsible.”

Jae-Dong Yu needjung@donga.com jarrett@donga.com