Associated Press Photo By Jung Yeon-je: South Korean official talks next to torpedo parts salvaged during a press conference in Seoul May 20.
Ahead of the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, tensions are tragically only mounting on the peninsula. Last Thursday, a top North Korean militarty official strongly denied charges that the North is behind the sinking of a South Korean warship and threatened “all-out war” if the South tries to retaliate.
“If (South Korea) tries to deal any retaliation or punishment, or if they try sanctions or a strike on us …. we will answer to this with all-out war,” North Korean naval spokesman Col. Pak In Ho told broadcaster APTN. He said the North had no reason to launch such an attack.
The colonel’s response followed an earlier announcement by an international team of civilian and military investigators in Seoul that concluded a North Korean submarine fired a homing torpedo at the Cheonan on March 26, severing the 1,200-ton ship in half and killing 46 onboard. The investigative team’s summary report said that the parts of the torpedo found to be responsible for the explosion include “bladed contra-rotating propellers, propulsion motor and a steering section” that “perfectly match the schematics” of a torpedo “included in introductory brochures provided to foreign countries by North Korea for export purposes.”
Fifty-eight sailors were rescued in what’s being dubbed the worst military disaster since the end of the Korean War. South Korean officials theorize that the attack was, in part, in retaliation for a Navy skirmish between the two countries last November that resulted in at least one death of a North Korean sailor.
Although South Korean President Lee Myung-bak pledged “resolute countermeasures,” regional experts say a retaliatory strike is ill-advised, as Seoul is within striking range of the North’s artillery. Instead, the South, with the backing of the United States and Japan, is expected Monday to push for a Security Council resolution condemning the attack. Although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reported to be pressing China today to back the punitive measures, it sounds like China is reluctant to do so.
It’s a tragic situation from all angles, especially when you think about how Korea was once one country and the suffering that war brought upon many of our grandparents and parents. During moments like this, the armistice that paused the war feels quite fragile. What I found even more disturbing was this question posted on a news website: “Should we bomb N. Korea? Yes or No? Share your opinion now!” The “springboard.com” poll as of late Saturday night yielded this result: 54% yes and 45% no.
