South Korea Says Ship Sank After ‘External Explosion’

SEOUL, South Korea — Officials investigating the mysterious sinking of a South

Korean warship in waters disputed by North Korea believe that the ship was hit and torn apart by an “external explosion,” the government announced Friday.

Its first official statement on the cause of the sinking came amid rising official and private speculation over a possible North Korean involvement.

“It was highly likely that it was an external, rather than internal, explosion,” Yoon Duk-yong, head of the government team of military and private investigators, said at a nationally televised news conference.

The news conference came a day after the stern of the ship was lifted out of the

water, allowing investigators to look more closely at the damage. Officials also found 36 dead sailors inside, bringing the death toll to 38. Eight sailors remain missing, while 58 were rescued the night the ship sank.

It will take more investigation to determine what and who may have caused the

external impact, said Lieutenant General Park Jong-yi. But South Korea’s defense

minister, Kim Tae-young, had earlier said that it was investigating the possibility that the 1,200-ton ship, the Cheonan, was hit by a North Korean torpedo or naval mine.

Mr. Yoon said his team found an internal explosion unlikely after studying the

salvaged ship. The ship’s munition, fuel tank and gas turbine were intact. The

investigators also all but ruled out the possibility of the ship hitting an underwater rock.

South Korea is working together with United States, Australian and Swedish experts.

The result of the investigations, especially if North Korea were found guilty, could have tremendous implications not only for inter-Korean relations but also for international efforts to coax North Korea back to nuclear disarmament talks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/world/asia/16korea.html?pagewanted=print