When was Kim Sun-il kidnapped exactly?
His body was found near Fallujah in Iraq, Tuesday night (Korean time). Suspiciously, the Ministry of Foreign affairs and Trade has failed to find out the timing of the abduction even a day after Kim was killed. The kidnapping of Kim was broadcasted through Al-Jazeera TV on Sunday.
According to Yonhap News, Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin said at a general meeting of Uri Party lawmakers that Kim might have been kidnapped on May 30 and not on June 17. Choi said, “Gana Trading president Kim Chon-ho, Kim Sun-il's employer, had previously stated that the Korean victim had been abducted on June 17. Later, Kim said that Kim Sun-il had been kidnapped on June 15. But he changed his statement once again by saying the exact date was May 30. We concluded that the last statement is correct and we are trying to confirm it,” the news agency reported.
With mounting public opinion that the Foreign Ministry should reveal the exact timing of the abduction, the ministry said in a news report, “Some news companies are reporting that Kim was kidnapped on May 30 exactly, but they are not right.” “Deputy minister Choi is trying to identify the exact timing and situation, as [Gana Trading president] Kim made three different statements. An accurate identification is important for the prevention of a similar incident. We will try to identify the situation exactly even if it takes us time. As soon as we get the accurate information, we will let you know,” the ministry continued.
Meanwhile, the Korea Broadcasting System reported that according to an acquaintance of Kim Sun-il and Gana Trading president Kim Chon-ho, who lives in Baghdad, nobody had contact with Kim Sun-il since May 31. It has been learned that the Korean Embassy in Iraq knew of the kidnapping before it was broadcast. For about 20 days, president Kim himself contacted the kidnappers five or six times to negotiate the release of Kim Sun-il, although president Kim has denied it, KBS reported. President Kim said that after the abduction occurred, he considered the kidnapping a simple robbery case. So he himself tried to rescue the Korean hostage, KBS reported. In the process of negotiations, the atmosphere was good and a ransom was suggested at first. But as U.S forces in Iraq started to attack the kidnappers and Korea’s additional force dispatch plan was reported, the situation rapidly changed, KBS analyzed.
MBC Radio reported Wednesday morning, quoting freelance producer Kim Young-mi, that it is highly possible that Kim Sun-il had been kidnapped on May 31, considering the Gana Trading employee’s remarks that Kim lost contact with everyone after he went to a U.S base to supply it with goods on May 31 and since then nobody saw Kim.
