South Korea: North Korean lettering found on torpedo that sank warship

Posted By Joshua Keating Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 5:35 PM Share

South Korea plans, on Thursday, to disclose the official results of its investigation into the sinking of the Navy frigate Cheonan, but the government seems to be gradually rolling out its findings.  Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan told assembled diplomats at an EU Chamber of Commerce luncheon that "it's obvious" that North Korea was behind the explosion that sank the ship. Later today, a senior South Korea official gave the Korea Times previewed some of the evidence: 

Characters and numbers in North Korean fonts were found on fragments of what is believed to be a propeller blade from a torpedo that sank a South Korean frigate, a senior Defense Ministry official told The Korea Times, Wednesday.

"They were not Chinese characters or a serial number, but it was obvious that the lettering was North Korean," the official said on condition of anonymity regarding findings from a multinational investigation into the cause of the sinking of the ROK Navy's patrol boat Cheonan near the West Sea border with North Korea on March 26. [...]
The official said the torpedo in question was powered by two sets of propellers that rotate in opposite directions. He added that investigators conducted a computerized simulation and reached the conclusion that a 250kg, mid-sized sonar-tracking torpedo exploded underneath the gas turbine room of the 1,200-ton vessel.

The gas turbine has been found on the seabed and will be hoisted out of the water, according to the officials. Traces of explosives from the wreckage were also found to be similar to those from a North Korean torpedo found in the West Sea seven years ago, they said.  

South Korea has certainly taken its time before making a formal accusation over the incident. The ball's in Beijing's court now.  

EXPLORE:MILITARY, NORTH KOREA
 

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