The South Korean Minister of National Defense has dismissed the possibility that the Cheonan was sunk by a South Korean mine.
Kim Tae Young said today, “I think there was no possibility that it was caused by a South Korean naval mine.”
Kim was attending a meeting of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly. Responding to a question from Lee Yoon Sung, a Grand National Party lawmaker, Kim went on, “In 2008, when I was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the possibility of incidents was suggested, so the Navy searched for mines for two months. At that time, mines placed to block enemies from landing were found, and we have collected all of those.”
He later reiterated, “There is no South Korean mine in the West Sea waters. The Cheonam had passed that spot around 15 times before, and the depth of the water is more than 20 meters.”
Kim also emphasized the government’s commitment to the rescue effort; “Although the possibility that crew members are still alive is quite low, we are doing our best to find at least one more survivor.”
Kim also reaffirmed that the administration has been scrutinizing all kinds of possible causes.
