S. Korean final report reaffirms DPRK's culpability in sinking warship

South Korea released Monday a final report of a Seoul-led multinational probe into the sinking of its warship in March, maintaining its stance that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is to blame.

Probe findings in May concluded that Pyongyang's torpedo attack sank the 1,200-ton navy corvette Cheonan, killing 46 sailors. Investigators pointed at parts of a torpedo salvaged from the site of the sinking as evidence of the DPRK's role, claiming that a marking on the retrieved parts is consistent with a similar marking on a stray DPRK torpedo.

The newly published report includes more details, an attempt to quash speculation doubting the official investigation results. The hull of the ship, the propulsion device of the torpedo and remains of the explosives all point to the DPRK's responsibility for the attack, according to the report.

"(The report) let North Korea (DPRK) and the international community know that even the most covert attack leaves evidence," Yoon Duk-yong, co-chairman of the joint investigation team, said during a briefing. "It especially sends a solemn warning to North Korea not to engage in any further military provocations."

The report will hopefully serve as the basis for more accurate understanding of the sinking, Yoon said.

On March 26, South Korea's frigate Cheonan, with 104 crew members aboard, sank near the maritime border with the DPRK after an unexplained explosion. South Korean investigators released their results of the investigation on May 20, claiming that the warship was sunk by a DPRK torpedo.

However, a spokesman from the DPRK National Defense Commission issued a statement May 20 rejecting the claim of South Korea, and requesting to send an DPRK inspection group to South Korean to verify material evidence.

Source: Xinhua