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Related:
 
Antiwar rally in Seoul, June 26,
2004.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)
SEOUL, June 26 (Xinhuanet) -- The death of a South
Korean translator who was taken hostage and later beheaded in Iraq by Muslim
insurgents is expected to affect the cabinet shake-up reportedly stated for next
month, reported Yonhap on Saturday.
President Roh Moo-hyun has not revealed the exact
timing and scope of the reshuffle, but analysts said he would likely bring new
faces into his diplomatic team, as it has come under fire overits failure to
rescue Kim Sun-il.
The Foreign Ministry admitted Friday that it received
a telephone inquiry on June 3 from a reporter from the Associated Press over
whether a South Korean was missing or held captive in Iraq.
Opposition parties have called for related officials
to take responsibility for the failure to save Kim.
State auditors have also launched an investigation
into allegations that the government mishandled the case, and the parliament has
also decided to investigate.
Analysts said the results of the investigation would
affect the cabinet reshuffle.
Initially, President Roh had planned to change only
three ministers after receiving parliamentary approval for his designation of
Rep. Lee Hai-chan as prime minister on June 29.
The three to be replaced are the unification
minister, culture and tourism minister and the health and welfare minister,
according to Yonhap. Enditem
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 for the South
Korean government's fault in sending army to Iraq. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
A video image released
June 22, 2004 by Al Jazeera TV shows armed gunmen, standing over a kneeling,
blindfolded figure dressed in orange, saying they were about to carry out their
threat. Militants beheaded a South Korean hostage in Iraq on Tuesday after Seoul
refused their demand to withdraw its troops.(China Daily/Reuters
Photo)
South
Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun "strongly" condemned terrorism Wednesday in his
first public reaction to the beheading of a Korean hostage by Islamic militants in
Iraq.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) | 
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