hankyoreh

The bow of the Cheonan was raised two days ago, but the bodies of six missing sailors have yet to be found. The government, after suspending the search for the missing and processing them as missing, decided to begin official funeral proceedings. It is our wish that the 46 sailors who lost their lives during this unforeseen tragedy will continue on to a peaceful eternal rest, and we express our deepest sympathy and consolation to the bereaved families.

The task that remains is ensuring that the sacrifices of the victims of the Cheonan were not in vain. The first step is a clear exposition of the cause of the incident. Due to the unclear explanation given by military officials early on in the incident, an array of speculation has continued to spread. Now that both the bow and stern have been raised, this speculation must be wiped out through a scientific and precise investigation. If not, the danger exists that this incident will amplify internal divisions within our society as it meshes with the regional elections.

To begin, the civilian-military investigation team, after examining the severed section, left open the possibility of either a mine or a torpedo, saying it is highly possible the ship was torn apart by an underwater, non-contact explosion. We hope that in the future, the team also produces a final investigation report that all citizens can trust.

The direct cause of this incident, and concrete evidence that North Korea was involved, can be revealed through an investigation, but the fact of the matter is that it is impossible to deny that this incident is tied to the reality of the division of Korea, regardless of whether North Korea is directly implicated. This is because had the reality of our division ceased to exist, there would have been no reason for the Cheonan to patrol in the area. Accordingly, in order to ensure that the deaths of the sailors on the Cheonan are not in vain, it is also important to work to overcome the national division and ease inter-Korean tensions.

In this regard, we must keep an eye on any move, by North Korea or by South Korea, to use the incident to heighten inter-Korean tensions. This is because as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out, talk of war on the Korean Peninsula or actions or incorrect judgments that could lead to conflict will not help anyone. Neither the attitude of South Korean conservatives, who are talking of rash responses and pinning the cause of the incident on North Korea despite the fact that no evidence has been uncovered to confirm this, nor North Korea, which has confiscated South Korean property at Mt. Kumgang and is not turning down opportunities to make warlike statements against South Korea, are appropriate. The pressing issues now are to stop this incident from being used by those in North Korea and South Korea who are looking to serve their own interests by preying on national division and to put inter-Korean relations back on track.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]