One paper called Kim Sun-il's appearance "heartbreaking"

The South Korean press is united in its condemnation of the Iraqi group which has threatened to execute the South Korean translator Kim Sun-il.

But papers are divided over how the Seoul government should respond to the hostage situation.

Whereas some papers argue that South Korea's imminent dispatch of additional troops to Iraq must not be affected by the hostage-taking, others attack the decision to send more soldiers.

Some papers also carry political cartoons commenting on the hostage situation.

'Heartbreaking'

The oldest and most widely read South Korean daily, Choson Ilbo, describes Kim Sun-il's appearance on screen as "heartbreaking" and "deplorable".

The government must make every effort for Mr Kim's release Chungang Ilbo

Expressing anger at "the terrorist act of kidnapping an innocent civilian", the paper says that the purpose of sending South Korean troops is for "Iraq's peace and rehabilitation... and not to fight the Iraqi people".

After stressing that "the principle" of the troop dispatch must "not be compromised", the paper says that the governing party's "anti-US statement related to the war in Iraq" and "candlelight rallies opposing the troop dispatch" are of no help in the "difficult situation" South Korea faces.

'Do not yield'

The independent daily Chungang Ilbo expresses shock and concern that the possible beheading of Kim Sun-il might not be a "mere threat", given previous cases in which hostages from countries with troops in Iraq were executed.

South Korea is not sending its troops to engage in a war with Iraq... but for peace and restoration Tong-a Ilbo

The paper speculates that as the abduction came right after South Korea's announcement that it would send additional troops to Iraq, it was probably an attempt "to dispirit South Korea in advance and frustrate the cooperation between US and coalition forces".

"The government must make every effort for Mr Kim's release," it continues, "by immediately contacting and closely cooperating with the United States, the transitional Iraqi government, the Iraqi cabinet, and leaders of various Iraqi factions."

The paper adds however that "this incident should not affect South Korea's decision to send troops to Iraq."

The moderate Tong-a Ilbo points out that "South Korea is not sending its troops to engage in a war with Iraq... but for peace and restoration".

The government's decision to go ahead with the dispatch as planned is the "right decision", it says, but it urges the government to become more involved.

"If necessary, not only Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon but also President Roh Moo-hyun must work for Mr Kim's release."

'Unjust occupation'

However, the centre-left daily Hangyore uses the hostage crisis to attack the US-led war in Iraq as well as Seoul's decision to send more troops.

Threats to civilians cannot be condoned Hangyore

"The thing that we have been worrying about finally took place," the paper says.

"We have repeatedly noted that the US invasion and occupation of Iraq is unjust both in terms of motivation and means."

However, "threats to civilians cannot be condoned... [and] if the situation continues any longer, it will change the thoughts of many Koreans who have been empathetic towards the Iraqi resistance forces."

In a separate editorial, the paper calls for the immediate revocation of the government's policy on sending troops, "not because we succumb to the threat of the Iraqi armed group that kidnapped Kim Sun-il" but because "the decision was taken against the people's will."

Cartoons

In Kyonghyang Sinmun a political cartoon titled "The madness of war" consists of two frames.

The left frame, labelled "Armed forces", depicts the hostage Kim Sun-il with Iraqi insurgents standing behind him as they appeared in the video broadcast by Arab TV channels.

The right frame, labelled "Imperial forces", depicts South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on his knees, held captive in similar fashion by President Bush and other US officials. President Roh is muttering, apparently under coercion, "Troop dispatch is for reconstruction..."

Another two-frame cartoon in Seoul Sinmun shows Kim Sun-il held hostage in the first frame and Iraq held hostage by US soldiers in the second.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.