South Korean hostage beheaded in Iraq (Reuters) Updated: 2004-06-23 08:01
A video image released June 22, 2004 by Al
Jazeera shows a group of heavily armed gunmen standing over a kneeling,
blindfolded figure dressed in orange, saying they were about to carry out
their threat. Militants kidnapped 33-year-old Kim Sun-il on June 17 and
had threatened on Monday to kill him within 24 hours unless South Korea
withdrew its troops from Iraq. Al Jazeera said an Iraqi group had carried
out its threat to behead a South Korean hostage. [Reuters]
A video image released June 22, 2004 by Al
Jazeera TV shows one of the kidnappers read a statement addressed to the
Korean people, blaming the tragedy on the South Korean government for
sending its army to Iraq. [AFP]
South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun bows
before he speaks to the nation at the presidential Blue House in Seoul
June 23, 2004. [Reuters]
Parents of Kim Sun-il are in deep grief
after hearing the news that their son had been beheaded, June 23, 2004,
Seoul. [Xinhua]