SEOUL, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday that it is not desirable to discuss who is to blame for the beheading of a South Korean hostage in Iraq based on speculation, reported Yonhap.

    The president called on the nation to calmly wait until state auditors finish their investigation of the case, the South Korean news agency reported.

    "I don't want you to discuss anyone's responsibilities based on assumptions until the outcome of the ongoing Board of Audit and Inspection inquiry comes out," Roh was quoted by his chief spokesman, Yoon Tai-young, as telling a meeting with aides.

    The remarks came after the opposition demanded the president fire Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and reorganize his national security staff for the failure to save Kim Sun-il, who was taken hostage and killed by Islamic extremists.

    Roh, under mounting public pressure, ordered the state audit agency Thursday to investigate allegations that some government officials might have bungled efforts to save Kim.

    On Monday, a team of 12 state auditors visited the Foreign Ministry and questioned several officials accused of mishandling the case.

    The National Assembly has also decided to launch a separate investigation into the case.

    The beheaded body of Kim, a 33-year-old worker for Cana General Trading Co., a Jordan-based South Korean supplier for the US military, was found outside Baghdad on June 22 after the South Korean government turned down the demand to withdraw the plan to send more troops to Iraq.

    Kim's body was airlifted to his hometown of Busan on the south coast on Saturday. Kim's funeral will be held at an indoor gymnasium in Busan on Wednesday and his body will be buried in a public cemetery in the port city. Enditem