The United States says it will assist South Korea in every way possible to win the swift release of a South Korean civilian who is being held by militants in Iraq.

In a press briefing Monday, State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, said Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon about the case.

Boucher said the United States condemns the kidnapping of innocent civilians and called for the immediate release of 33-year-old Kim Sun-il.
Boucher added that Washington is working closely with not only the Seoul government but also with the coalition partners through the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Earlier on Sunday, the Arab satellite TV network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape purportedly from al-Qaida linked militants showing Kim begging for his life and pleading with the Seoul government to withdraw troops from Iraq.

The kidnappers, who identified themselves as belonging to a group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, gave South Korea 24 hours from sunset Sunday to meet its demand.