South Korea will go ahead with its plan to send 3,000 troops to Iraq despite a televised threat from Iraqi militants to behead a South Korean hostage, the foreign ministry said Monday.

Vice Foreign Minister Choi Young-jin told reporters after a meeting of President Roh Moo-hyun's National Security Council the government would do its best to seek the release of 33-year-old Kim Sun-il, who was shown on television pleading for his life.

Choi said Kim had been kidnapped on June 17 -- the day before South Korea announced where it was sending the troops to Iraq -- and his company's president had initially sought to negotiate with the kidnappers without telling the government.

Source: Agencies