Each day, the mystery over the fate of the 1,200-ton patrol boat Cheonan deepens — with the speculation taking on what some analysts say is a fantastic,
The Korean peninsula is always tense, but the specter of war has increased in recent weeks as investigators point to possible North Korean involvement in the sinking, suggesting the Cheonan was struck by either a floating mine or enemy torpedo.
As salvagers over the weekend raised the bow section of the ship, a team of civilian and military investigators probing the mishap blamed a “”non-contact external explosion”” beneath the warship rather than a direct hit.
Quoting unnamed naval sources,
Additionally, at least one North Korean defector and an activist in
The activist,
He said he contacted the major about the remains of his father, who had allegedly been kidnapped years ago by
Choi said that in an
He quoted the major as saying he had not heard of the sinking of the Cheonan, but suggesting that the North was responsible, using “”a new weapon that had fired one shot.””
The major did not specifically say the Cheonan was hit by a “”human torpedo.”” Choi said North Korean leader Kim Jong Il visited naval commanders after the November skirmish and said the country must retaliate.
The North Korean defector,
Jang said that he saw the program firsthand as a veteran of the North’s ministry in charge of espionage operations, before defecting in 2004.
The human torpedo units “”are treated better than the submarine crew and their training focuses on suicide bombing attacks,”” Jang wrote on his blog.
“”The first thing Kim Jong Il sees when inspecting the Navy Command is the suicide bombing training of soldiers in this unit,”” he wrote.
Chosun Ilbo said in addition to suicide bombing tactics, North Korean crews also launch attacks using semi-submersible vessels equipped with light torpedoes or other explosives, which are fired or placed on their targets at close range.
This month, a South Korean lawmaker proposed a slightly different scenario to the National Assembly — that of a Seal Delivery Vehicle, or SDV, a semi-submersible piloted by a three-man crew that can fire a missile.
One South Korean military official discounted the theory.
“”SDVs are very slow and there is a low possibility that such vessels were used in an attack,”” Defense Minister
Officials said they planned to employ computer simulation analysis to determine the Cheonan’s fate. The boat was struck in the dark and quickly sank. Fifty-eight crewmen were rescued and authorities have recovered 40 bodies. Six are still missing.
Some analysts here say they don’t buy the human torpedo theory.
“”They’re giving more credibility to a mine,”” Pinkston said. “”There seems to be a hole in each of the scenarios being looked at. Some of it sounds like stuff from a
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(Los Angeles Times’ Seoul Bureau researcher