Posted on 06/24/2004 8:01:11 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Internet Providers Urged to Block Hostage Video
By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff Reporter
South Korea is scrambling to prevent online footage featuring the beheading of a South Korean hostage in Iraq from spreading as several foreign-based Web sites have started to post the gruesome scenes.
The Ministry of Information of Communication (MIC) on Thursday said it ordered all the nation’s Internet service providers (ISPs) to shut down access to Web sites that carry the execution of Kim Sun-il.
``We have found a total of eight foreign-based Web sites showing the savage killing since this morning (Thursday) and blocked Internet access to them in cooperation with local ISPs,’’ MIC official Moon Ki-hwan said.
Moon added the MIC has also cut Internet access to three other foreign-based sites, which openly announced they sought the images.
Kim, a 33-year-old translator for a South Korean trading firm supplying the U.S. military in Iraq, was reportedly kidnapped late last month by an Iraqi militant group demanding the withdrawal of the additional Korean troop dispatch to Iraq.
The insurgents executed Kim as South Korea decided to go ahead with its original troop dispatch plan and sent the videotape to the pan-Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera early Wednesday (Korean time), which aired some of it but did not broadcast the beheading.
From Wednesday, the ministry embarked on a 24-hour emergency monitoring system to block the spread of the online footage in fear that it might further anger already-shocked Koreans.
As a preemptive measure, the MIC also called for local Internet portals to ban searches using such terms as ``beheading’’ and ``Kim Sun-il footage.’’
Thanks to such efforts, Moon believed the online footage has yet to make its way to Korea, saying, ``Although we work around the clock, not a single case of the footage influx or circulation was reported to us yet.’’
South Korea’s major ISPs like KT, Hanaro Telecom and Thrunet pledged to delete the online footage of Kim’s execution if users upload it.
When an Internet user is found to spread images of Kim’s killing in South Korea, the MIC will
Two years ago, these lefties milked to the hilt the gruesome photos of two schoolgirls crushed to death by American bridge vehicle in a traffic accident, in order to whip up anti-American feeling among population, which was instrumental in electing Roh Moo-hyun and his leftwing administration. They displayed photos on the streets, at the rallies, put them on their web sites. Now they suddenly regained their conscience and preach decency and morality by arguing for total ban of the beheading video. It would not be hard to conclude that they fear a massive backlash against them if the raw footage makes its round on Internet. They benefited handsomely for such a publicity. So they know full well that how devastating the fallout from beheading video could get.
Ping!
I wasn't aware there was a video.
It is a safe bet that there is video of anything like this from these perps. It is just a question when and how it gets out.
http://www.ogrish.com/ogrish-dot-com-south-korean-kim-sun-il-beheading-full-version.wmv
http://www.ogrish.com/ogrish-dot-com-south-korean-kim-sun-il-beheading-short-version.wmv
Yeah right.
These kids eat, drink and breathe the Internet. All this is going to do is increase interest in that video.
You can't keep it off the peer-to-peer networks. The geni is out of the bottle.
Turn 10,000 ROK marines loose on Iraq for a little payback....
Sure cure for what wails ya !
You are wrong. I'm a korean. We control ourselves because we really mourn over the death of Kim, Sun-il. We think that curiosity about the video is sin against his spirit. This is ubiquitous feeling in Korea.
Who control people is not the government.
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