March 29, 2010
By Sangim Han and Bomi Lim March 29 (Bloomberg) — South Korean navy divers today reached a patrol boat that sank off the west coast three days ago near the nation’s disputed border with North Korea, with no sign of the 46 missing crew members When navy divers knocked on the ship’s stern with hammers, they didn’t hear any response, defense ministry spokesman Won Tae Jae said in a briefing. The 1,200-ton Cheonan sank within hours after an explosion on March 26 split the vessel in two. Rescue operations will continue until 8 p.m., Commodore Lee Ki Sik of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters, as missing crew members may be trapped inside the sunken ship. Oxygen in the ship’s waterproof cabins would have enabled those trapped to survive for a maximum of 69 hours, Lee said. North Korea today warned the U.S. and South Korea not to “disturb the security and order” in the demilitarized zone. The statement by an unidentified Army spokesman, carried by the Korean Central News Agency, made no reference to the explosion. Korea’s benchmark Kospi stock index fell 0.3 percent to 1,691.99 in the first day of trading since the ship sank. The won gained 0.3 percent to 1,135.50 against the dollar. A U.S. Navy ship joined rescue efforts that have been hampered by choppy waters. U.S. and South Korean officials have said there were no indications of North Korea’s involvement. U.S. stocks pared gains on March 26 on concern North Korean military action might have caused the explosion. ‘No Special Movements’ The U.S. military said it has detected “no special movements” by North Korea, echoing comments by Lee’s office. “We continue to monitor the situation and remain prepared for any contingency,” General Walter Sharp , the senior U.S. commander in South Korea, said yesterday in a statement on the military’s Web site. Defense Minister Kim Tae Young played down the possibility of a South Korean mine causing the explosion, and said today one of thousands of North Korean sea mines placed during the 1950-53 war may have drifted into South Korean waters, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. The Cheonan split in two and started sinking shortly after an explosion at the stern around 9 p.m., according to the ship’s captain, Choi Won Il, who was among 58 survivors. The parted stern sank immediately, and the other half floated four miles away from the explosion site before it was submerged around 1 a.m. on March 27, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul. Disputed Boundary The western sea border is at the center of a dispute between the two Koreas that caused skirmishes in 1999 and 2002. North Korea doesn’t recognize the maritime border demarcated by the United Nations and argues it needs to be drawn further south. In January, North Korea fired artillery in the area during military exercises, prompting warning shots by South Korea. Kim Jong Il ’s regime is under pressure to return to international talks on its nuclear weapons ambitions. Food shortages have worsened after the UN imposed tougher sanctions following North Korea’s second nuclear test in May 2009. To contact the reporter on this story: Sangim Han in Seoul at sihan@bloomberg.net
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February 4, 2010
By Bomi Lim Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — North Korea said it will release an American missionary who was detained in December for illegal entry, an indication the communist country is seeking to maintain improved relations with the U.S. North Korea decided to release Robert Park after his “sincere repentance of his wrongdoings,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency said today. Park was detained on Dec. 24 for illegally crossing into the country from China, KCNA said on Dec. 29. No details were given on his release. Park’s release came after U.S. President Barack Obama two days ago decided to keep North Korea off the government’s list of states that sponsor terrorism. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il left open the possibility of a possible return to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks after U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth traveled to Pyongyang in December. The United Nations has described Park as an American missionary who entered North Korea to protest the country’s prison system. The country is holding another American, who KCNA has said was detained on Jan. 25 for illegal entry. The second detainee’s identity remains unknown. KCNA issued a statement from Park saying: “I seriously repented of the wrong I committed.” Thawing Relations Former U.S. President Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang in August to secure the release of two American journalists who were arrested in March 2009 near the border with China. Clinton’s trip, which included a meeting with Kim, helped thaw relations between North Korea and the U.S., leading to Bosworth’s visit. Kim’s regime remains under UN Security Council sanctions for carrying out tests of missiles and nuclear devices in 2009. North Korea has said it won’t return to the six-party talks aimed at getting the country to abandon its nuclear program until the sanctions are lifted, something the Obama administration has ruled out. North Korea doesn’t meet the criteria for being included on the U.S. government’s list of states sponsoring terrorism, Obama wrote in a letter to congressional leaders on Feb. 3. Inclusion automatically imposes sanctions. North Korea, which had been on the list since 1988, was removed in 2008 after it agreed to inspection of sites suspected of being part of a nuclear program. To contact the reporter on this story: Bomi Lim in Seoul at blim30@bloomberg.net
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