1. The Government of the Republic of Korea held an emergency meeting of NSC Standing Committee this 
morning, and discussed the kidnapping of a Korean national, Kim Seon-Il, in Iraq.

2. Based on the position that Kim Seon-Il, an innocent civilian, must be released safely and as soon as 
possible, the government is exerting every effort possible for the safe return of Kim Seon-il to Korea.

 
3. The government is taking various measures through the just  established emergency task force, headed 
by Choi Young-jin, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and decided to dispatch high-level officials of 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other related ministries to Iraq.

 
4. The government once again requests that Koreans refrain from visiting Iraq, and strongly recommends 
that the Koreans currently residing in Iraq return to Korea unless it is absolutely inevitable.

 
5. The government asserts that the deployment of our troops to Iraq is to support the reconstruction efforts 
of Iraq, and that no change has been made in its basic spirit and in position on Iraq.

                                                                 Spokesperson of MOFAT


* unofficial translation