By Choe Sang-Hun
SEOUL, South Korea — A torpedo attack was the most likely cause of the sinking of a South Korean warship near a disputed sea border with North Korea last month that killed at least 40 South Korean sailors, the South Korean defense chief said Sunday.
Defense Minister Kim Tae-young was the first South Korean official to publicly blame a torpedo as a likely cause of the March 26 explosion that split the 1,200-ton corvette, the Cheanan, in half. There has been a growing suspicion that the ship may have been hit by a North Korean torpedo or mine, although South Korea has not yet blamed the North and Pyongyang has denied any involvement.
“A bubble jet caused by a heavy torpedo is thought to be the most likely thing to be blamed, but various other possibilities are also under review,” Mr. Kim told reporters on Sunday.
A bubble jet effect occurs when a torpedo or mine detonates near or under a ship. The change of pressure creates a “bubble” underwater whose tremendous force as it expands and collapses can break the ship apart, according to defense ministry officials.
This theory appeared to be supported by Yoon Duk-yong, head of the government team of military and private investigators, who said on Sunday that the ship was likely broken in half “by a non-contact explosion, rather than a contact explosion”.
Mr. Yoon added that no soot, melting or any explosion holes were found on the ship. These were often damage left when a ship suffered a direct hit, rather than an explosion at close range, he said. But he did not clarify what type of explosion — torpedo or mine — caused the sinking.
Mr. Yoon made the comment after inspecting the wreck of the ship. The rear half of the ship was salvaged on April 15 and the remaining half on Saturday.
Speculation on what caused the blast has ranged from a North Korean torpedo to an uncollected mine from the 1950-53 Korean War floating around.
Also Sunday, Prime Minister Chung Un-chan declared a five-day “national mourning period” for 40 Cheanan sailors found dead and six missing and presumed dead. Public mourning stations will be set up in Seoul and major cities where citizens can pay tribute.
Although his government has not presented any evidence of North Korean involvement, President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea has vowed “stern” or “unwavering” measures and spoke harshly of North Korea in recent days.
Over the weekend, he played host to a lunch with former South Korean Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Kim Young-sam, both of them staunch hardliners on North Korea. After the lunch Friday, Mr. Lee’s office released comments from Mr. Chun and Mr. Kim, who both believed that the ship was attacked by North Korea and harshly criticized the North.
During the briefing by Mr. Lee’s office, the former leaders’ personal, scarring experiences with the North were detailed. According to the local media, Mr. Kim noted that his mother was killed in 1960 by a North Korean agent who attacked his island village on the south coast.
Mr. Chun, meanwhile, spoke of a spectacular bomb attack on South Korea’s leaders in 1983 that killed several cabinet ministers during a presidential visit to Yangon, Myanmar.
Such recriminations were rare during the decade from 1998 to 2008, when liberals ruled Korea and pursued a “Sunshine Policy” of aid and joint ventures meant to eventually reunite North and South Korea.
Mr. Lee came to power in 2008 promising to take a tougher line with the North, which had continued with a nuclear arms program despite the many overtures from the South. The meeting Friday — with its tough sound bites on the North — can be expected to continue to shore up Mr. Lee’s standing with conservative voters.
On Friday, the two former presidents suggested dismantling some of the results of the Sunshine Policy, shutting down a joint industrial park in the North and denying permission to some North Korean ships to ply South Korean waters to save time and fuel as they travel abroad.
The New York Times
