Asia-Pacific
S Korean Navy ship sinking possibly caused by mine explosion
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-03-27 17:27
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SEOUL - Friday's Navy ship sinking might be caused by mine explosion, South Korean media YTN quoted Cheong Wa Dae sources as saying on Saturday.
General of the South Korean Navy Lee Ki-shik said later Friday that the 1,200-ton warship Cheonan went down after the unexplained explosion ripped a hole in the ship's bottom.
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South Korean officials are narrowing down the possibilities that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is involved in the incident.
Likelihood of the DPRK's involvement in the incident seems low, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported on Saturday, citing multiple officials at the Presidential Office of Cheong Wa Dae.
"It is hard to say for sure now, but chances appear to be slim that North (DPRK) was related," a senior official told Yonhap on the condition of anonymity.
There has been no unusual movements by the DPRK so far, Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said at a press briefing after President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation has been stepped up on Saturday. Military divers arrived at the scene of the warship sinking to go underwater to search the sunken vessel. But Yonhap said that they had to delay the operation due to inclement weather.
There were a total of 104 sailors onboard when the ship sank. Fifty-eight have been rescued later Friday, and other 46 crew members still remain missing.
President Lee Myung-bak convened a second emergency meeting with security officials earlier Saturday, demanding for a "quick and thorough" investigation, and rescuing the missing by all means.
Lee also ordered to inform related nations engaged in the six-party talks of proper information about the incident, and urged government agencies to take measures to reassure the public.
