Bae Hyng-Kyu executed!

EXECUTED: South Korea has identified the hostage killed in Afghanistan as Bae Hyung-kyu, a Christian pastor who was the leader of the group of 22 other church volunteers kidnapped by Taliban insurgents.

Bae's bullet-riddled body was found on Wednesday, the day South Korean media said he would have turned 42.

The Taliban said the South Korean government had not been acting in good faith and threatened to kill more of the Korean hostages if its demands were not met.

Bae, a married man with a nine-year-old daughter, was from a devout Christian family from the island province of Jeju. He went to theology school and became a pastor about six years ago. [More]

DEATH BE NOT PROUD

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st,
thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee,
much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings,
and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us
sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake;
why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

John Donne