S Korea firm on more troop dispatch

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon lays a flower down during the funeral service for South Korean Kim Sun-Il (pictured R) who was killed by Iraqi militants on Tuesday. It was organised at a hospital in Busan, about 420 km (262 miles) southeast of Seoul yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

President Roh Moo-Hyun denounced the killers of Kim Sun-Il, 33, in a brief televised statement as his stunned nation went into mourning.

"We strongly condemn terrorism and we will sternly combat it in cooperation with the international community," said Roh.

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"Terrorism is an inhuman crime," he said following a meeting of cabinet ministers and ruling party legislators. "We must never allow it to achieve its purpose."

The militants said Sunday they would behead Kim in 24 hours unless Seoul agreed to cancel the deployment of more than 3,000 troops to northern Iraq announced just last Friday. The deadline expired shortly after 1600 GMT Monday.

In graphic pictures aired on the Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera, a terrified and trembling Kim was shown kneeling in an orange jumpsuit in front of masked gunmen, one of whom was armed with a large knife.

Kim's body was found by the US military Tuesday dumped on the road from Baghdad to Fallujah, the foreign ministry said. CNN TV network quoting a senior coalition official in Iraq said the severed head found with the body had been booby-trapped with explosives.

South Korea already has over 600 military personnel deployed in Iraq, and Roh said the larger troop dispatch scheduled to begin in August would go ahead.

"I have repeatedly stressed that the dispatch of troops is not to engage in hostile activities against Iraq and other Arab countries but to help reconstruction and reconciliation," Roh said.

South Korean television showed Kim's grief-stricken father, mother and other relatives weeping and hugging one another in their home in the southern port city of Busan as they learned the news.

"Bring back my brother, bring back my brother," wailed younger sister Kim Jong-Sook.

World leaders denounced the killing and US President George W. Bush vowed that Islamic militants would fail to "impose their dark vision" on the world.

Secretary of State Colin Powell praised Seoul's resolve on the troop dispatch, which will make South Korea the third largest coalition partner in Iraq after the United States and Britain.