Kidnapped S. Korean businessman in Guatemala found slain

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean businessman in Guatemala was found dead
on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after he was abducted by suspected gangsters
demanding a ransom, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.
The body believed to be that of the victim, a 55-year-old man identified only by
his surname of Song, was found on a hill in Talin, a city located some 40
kilometers west of Guatemala City, the capital of the Central American country,
according to a ministry official.
"Our embassy in Guatemala worked closely with local police and authorities to win
the safe release of the South Korean businessman, but unfortunately he was found
dead this morning," Baik Joo-hyeon, head of the Overseas Koreans and Consular
Affairs Bureau, told reporters.
The victim was initially identified by an identification card found on the body,
according to the official. The South Korean Embassy in Guatemala later sent a
diplomat to confirm his identity.
Song, the owner of a sewing factory, was abducted Jan. 18 while on his way home
from work, the ministry official said.
The incident was the first murder of a kidnapped South Korean in Guatemala this
year. The ministry issued a travel warning, advising all South Korean tourists to
avoid entering the country.
"There is a systematic cause for such a crime because there are over 80,000
estimated members of crime rings in Guatemala, while there are only about 30,000
police and military forces," Baik said.
A total of six South Korean residents and visitors were killed last year in
Guatemala in various crimes that included armed robbery, while four others were
released safely after being abducted, he added.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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