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South Korea says North torpedoed ship as tensions rise
Jack Kim and Jonathan Thatcher
SEOUL
Thu May 20, 2010 3:28am EDT
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3:28am EDT
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SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea accused the reclusive North on Thursday of torpedoing one of its warships, heightening tension in the economically powerful region and testing the international position of China, Pyongyang's only major backer.
World | China | South Korea
South Korea said it would take "firm" measures against its impoverished neighbor, which furiously responded that it was ready for war if Seoul or its allies imposed sanctions.
A report by investigators, including experts from the United States, Australia, Britain and Sweden, concluded that a North Korean submarine had fired the torpedo which sank the Cheonan corvette in March, killing 46 sailors.
"There is no other plausible explanation," their report said.
Financial markets in Seoul showed little reaction to the widely anticipated findings of the report but were watching nervously for any serious escalation in tensions.
"The key is what kind of measures South Korea will take and how North Korea will react to them," said Choi Seong-lak, an analyst at SK Securities.
"If things become violent it will affect foreign investors, but for today the impact from the result itself will be limited."
International condemnation was immediate, with the stark exception of China, which analysts say is desperate to avoid any action that might destabilize its reclusive neighbor and lead to a spill-out into in its territory.
A senior South Korean government official said previously that the attack appeared to have been in revenge for a firefight near the disputed North-South border late last year in which the North's navy was humiliated.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the contents of the South Korean investigation deeply troubling.
Both the United States and Britain gave their backing to the findings, with the White House calling it an act of aggression that was another sign of the North's unacceptable behavior.
Japan ruled out the resumption of nuclear disarmament talks by five regional powers and the North, and said Washington shared its view that such negotiations aimed at aiding Pyongyang in return for a promise to drop its nuclear arms were unthinkable.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu urged both sides on the divided Korean peninsula to exercise restraint, and said Beijing would make its own assessment of the South Korean investigation.
FIRM MEASURES
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will hold an emergency meeting of his National Security Council on Friday. His government has already made clear it has no plans for a retaliatory strike but will be pressing the international community to take action, probably more sanctions, against the North.
"We will be taking firm, responsive measures against the North, and through international cooperation, we have to make the North admit its wrongdoing and come back as a responsible member of the international community," Lee was quoted by his office as telling Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
The report, announced in a nationally televised news conference, said intelligence had shown that North Korean submarines were likely in operation near the scene of the sinking, with similar vessels of other neighboring countries all inside their territorial waters.
"The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean submarine," it said.
The issue has plunged already icy relations between the two Koreas deeper into the freezer.
North Korea said the South's conservative government was using the incident for political gain and to further undermine ties between the two Koreas, which have yet to sign a formal peace treaty to end their 1950-53 war.
"Our army and people will promptly react to any 'punishment' and 'retaliation' and to any 'sanctions' infringing upon our state interests with various forms of tough measures including an all-out war," its official news agency quoted the powerful National Defense Commission as saying in a typically florid statement. [nTOE64J03R].
The issue also puts China in a tricky spot. The host of on-again, off-again regional talks to rein in North Korea's nuclear weapons program is the reclusive state's only major ally and is reluctant to penalize its government.
"It's going to be very, very difficult for China to navigate this one. The South Koreans are not particularly pleased about what China's doing," said Charles Freeman, China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Seoul is already upset with Beijing, a major trading partner, for hosting North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on a rare trip abroad before the outcome of the investigation was announced.
But there have been media reports in the South that Chinese leaders may not have given the frail-looking Kim as much support as he wanted, speculating ties may now be starting to fray.
Paik Jin-hyun, a North Korea expert at Seoul National University, said tension between the two Koreas was inevitable.
"North Korea has given out war threats before and they are doing this now because the situation has become urgent for them. They will try to block sanctions at all costs. In this heightened state of affairs, provocations may occur."
(Additional reporting by Rhee So-eui, Miyoung Kim, Christine Kim and Kim Yeon-hee in Seoul, Chris Buckley in Beijing, Paul Eckert and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Writing by Jonathan Thatcher; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
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See All Comments (10) | Post Comment
May 19, 2010 8:56pm EDT
I guess this just goes to show what kind of “responsible” power China is becoming.
When will the world open it’s eyes and see that N Korea and Iran are the greatest threats to world peace…….and these threats are only made possible because of the support that China gives them.
It’s time that China starts acting like a true responsible world power.
Voice-of-Reason
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May 19, 2010 9:36pm EDT
Oh, is the USA responsible Voice of Reason? What about Britain? Unilateral invasions for the sake of handing billions of barrels of oil to western companies is not responsible. I’m not saying China is a responsible nation. Let’s be clear about that, but let’s look inward at our own corrupt nannies as well.
rarn80
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May 19, 2010 10:13pm EDT
Yehhhh….
I think this is a bit different to the US and Britain… what, with North Korea threatening military all the time.
Oh, and if you’re referring to Iraq about that oil thing, i believe most of the contracts went to Chinese companys. Suprising, huh?
Lexasdel
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May 19, 2010 10:48pm EDT
So you are saying because US troops invaded Iraq and killed Sadam then all the Iraq should be shipped to US? So you clearly admit that US invaded Iraq just for oil. US doesn’t care about the tens of thousands of Iraqi people killed by all those body-bombs, or maybe US is hoping and counting that if all Iraqis are killed off, Iraq will become a new colony of the US, just like US did to the native American Indians — kill them, help them kill each other, until all killed and cleaned, then take over the land and Iraq becomes US terriory.
SunnyZ
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May 19, 2010 11:38pm EDT
@ SunnyZ:
I’m not too sure how to respond to your post, because your post is very incoherent.
It’s hard to respond to unrelated randomness.
Voice-of-Reason
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May 20, 2010 12:21am EDT
Threat to world peace? Let’s count. Who has the most nukes, military bases, and is causing the most unjustified wars for aggression? The answer is the UK, US, and Israel. No reason to be in Afghanistan since al queada is a fraud created by Zbignew Brezezinski et al. and Iraq had no wmds. Barry Soetoro and the federal reserve are the biggest threats to world peace.
corporatemedia
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May 20, 2010 12:49am EDT
Voice-of-Reason, SunnyZ isn’t incoherent, u are simply refusing to acknowledge anything that doesn’t fall in line with ridiculous US propaganda. There is irony in your name just as there is irony in the official US stance with regards to nuclear arms and exactly who is provoking tensions. US agressions in Asia is OVER, only option is to leave with some remains of dignity after the brutality of it’s actions.
mockillavelli
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May 20, 2010 1:02am EDT
@Voice-of-Reason
Which part are you having trouble understanding?
I think SunnyZ was pretty clear.
It is bizarre to most of the rest of the world how American citizens can’t comprehend the hypocritical actions of their government when it’s so plainly obvious like a brick in the face.
For instance…
1. The country with the biggest arsenal of WMDs on the planet accusing, invading and occupying another country for possession of WMDs (which they didn’t even have).
2. The country with the biggest arsenal of nuclear weapons on the planet accusing and attacking with sanctions another country for daring to think about obtaining nuclear weapons (whether it’s true or not of course).
I’m sure it’s just a co-incidence that both of these countries that have been singled out possess huge reserves of oil.
RandomName
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May 20, 2010 2:46am EDT
I just can’t take the reaction of South Korean president and Ministry of National Defense about this incident.
Given of the incident’s result, international expert team including Korean team hasn’t seemingly done their best. The conclusion is more like a scenario refering only component of fragments or gunpowder not based on scienticfic investgations according to various section’s experts. Considering it is not included that the position of explosives and how strong the impact was, the result dosen’t make any sense, says one of experts. For instance, if torpedo was fired off 3 mitre from Cheonan, plenty of fragments should be able to be found, althogh there are only a few metal pieces.
I don’t also want to rule out the possibility of North Korea’s attack, although the evidence shouldn’t be able to be investigated in degenerated way. Some senior military officers are allegedelly hiding a video tape, which taken the moment that the stern of warship was broken, that can turn out the truth. Funnily SK goverment is said to be trying to use this incident with conspiring for the coming election (will be held in June). I mean the conservative ruling party would think they could win this election leading people to freak out if they got gov’s announcement, which means possible people’s fear and anger against NK would make them to vote ruling party that are on the position against NK. This is typical way that has been used for a long time. I’m really sick of this.
That is why a lot of Korean people aren’t shocked at the conclusion. To satisfy people, SK president (known as MB: his initial) and his ruling party mustn’t provoke North Korea with hasty conclusion not based on any scientific invastigation inciting Korea peninsula to horrible war again.
dionisos
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