30 March 2010

Following up on the Sinking of ROKS Cheonan

The best coverage we've found yet is over at One Free Korea, where the authors examine a variety of scenarios from a variety of sources.

Was it perhaps a Nork mine?

A naval mine dispatched from North Korea may have struck the South Korean warship that exploded and sank near the Koreas' disputed sea border, the defense minister told lawmakers Monday, laying out several scenarios for the maritime disaster.

Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said there was no sign of a direct attack from rival North Korea, but military authorities have not ruled out North Korean involvement in the sinking of the Cheonan late Friday night.

An explosion ripped the 1,200-ton ship apart during a routine patrol mission near Baengnyeong Island west of the peninsula. Fifty-eight crew members, including the captain, were plucked to safety; 46 remain missing.


Meanwhile, tragedy strikes the rescue efforts.

A South Korean military diver, previously hospitalized due to unconsciousness after taking part in search and rescue operations for missing sailors believed to be confined in a sunken warship, died Tuesday, according to Seoul's Yonhap News Agency.

Another rescue worker passed out while the search and rescue operations were still underway, Yonhap said.


By: Brant

No comments: