BAI Investigating “Kim Sun-il’s Killing”

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) started its full-scale investigation on June 25 to examine closely whether the government coped properly regarding the killing of Kim Sun-il by the Iraqi militants.

A high ranking official said on the same day, “We have started our investigation on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, since nationwide suspicions are leaning toward the government’s reactions in Kim’s kidnapping. First, we are currently focusing on the Foreign Ministry and the Korean Embassy in Iraq, but there is a possibility that the National Security Committee (NSC) and the Ministry of Defense may be included in the investigation if necessary.”

The BAI formed a special inspection team consisting of 16 auditors from the Administrative Security Inspection Department (Director Hwang Sook-ju), and some of the auditors were sent to the Foreign Ministry to secure relevant materials.

BAI will focus its investigation on the government’s handling of the AP’s inquiry on the Korean kidnapping, the government’s first acquisition of the kidnapping information and the structure of how it was reported, the government’s measures including its negotiation process, and security condition of Koreans in Iraq.

BAI will send a field team to Jordan next week to collect witness from Koreans who escaped from Iraq in order to inspect the effectiveness of the government’s efforts to protect Koreans in Iraq.

The GNP also decided to dispatch an investigation team from the National Assembly and to investigate government offices in order to find the truth related to the death of Kim Sun-il.

Floor leader Kim Dok-ryong raised a question at the party leadership meeting about the responsibility of President Roh, “A hearing at the National Assembly is not sufficient. An investigation of government offices is inevitable. Not only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but also NSC and President Roh should be responsible.”

Cheon Young-sei of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) visited the floor leaders’ offices at the Uri Party and the Grand National Party and urged an investigation of government offices regarding Kim’s death. The Uri Party started its own investigation including a visit to the Foreign Ministry by its investigation team (led by Yoo Sun-ho) on June 24 to collect documents about the ministry’s supervision on Koreans in Iraq.

Meanwhile, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Shin Bong-kil, again requested AP to disclose the truth, saying, “It is necessary to find out how and what AP inquired to the Foreign Ministry without disclosing the existence of the tape that could have been a critical resource to save Kim Sun-il.” However, AP has not responded.

Kim’s remains will arrive at the Incheon International Airport via KAL KE952 at 5:25 p.m. on June 26 at the earliest. Then, it will be transferred in a military airplane to Busan where his coffin will be placed until the funeral day.