A group of inspectors from the Board of Audit and Inspection have returned home after wrapping up on-site inspections in Jordan and Iraq on the case of slain South Korean hostage Kim Sun-il.

Shortly after arriving in South Korea early Thursday morning, the five-member team told reporters that they had met with a local Iraqi lawyer who had negotiated with Kim's captors to win the release of the 33-year-old translator. However, the team said they had failed to meet with the Iraqi man who was reportedly driving the car that Kim Sun-il was in when he was abducted by Islamist militants.

The inspectors said that it is too early to announce any details, saying they will work to shed light on the case by comparing the results of the on-site inspection with the outcome of investigations carried out so far in Seoul.