NORTH KOREA / SOUTH KOREA: North Korea sends letter to U.N. rejecting role in ship sinking

Record ID: 215626

  • Title: NORTH KOREA / SOUTH KOREA: North Korea sends letter to U.N. rejecting role in ship sinking
  • Date: 10th June 2010
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (FILE: 2010) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS OF PARTS OF NORTH KOREAN TORPEDO
  • Embargoed: 25th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA75BIULWCR4M0V0A1WDLDXKH1I
  • Story Text: North Korea's state-run television said on Wednesday (June 9) that North Korea has sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council rejecting an argument by South Korea that it was behind the sinking of its neighbour's navy ship and claiming it was the victim of a U.S.-mastermined conspiracy.
    The letter addressed to the U.N. Security Council president from the North's permanent representative to the body comes after the filing of a complaint by the South last week demanding international community action to deter further provocation by Pyongyang.
    A team of international investigators led by South Korea's military said in May that a North Korean submarine torpedoed its corvette Cheonan on March 26, snapping the vessel in half in a blast and killing 46 sailors.
    North Korea, through its official media, has rejected the charge saying it was a ploy by the South's President Lee Myung-bak aimed at political gains for his conservative government.
    "With time it is becoming clearer through military and scientific analysis that the 'investigation findings' by the U.S. and the South, which had been from their announcement subject to doubts and criticism, is nothing more than a conspiracy aimed at achieving U.S. political and military goals," said KRT's news reader quoting the letter signed by the North's permanent representative to the U.N., Sin Son-ho.
    "If the Security Council goes ahead with discussions on the 'investigation findings', we will regard it as infringing our sovereign rights and security. And then no one will be able to guarantee there won't be grave consequences to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," KRT news reader quoted from the letter.
    North Korea drove tensions to new heights in recent weeks by threatening war if Seoul imposed sanctions, denying any role in the sinking of the Cheonan and accusing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak of using the incident for political gain.
    The mounting antagonism between the two Koreas has unnerved investors, worried about armed conflict breaking out in the region.
    Many analysts say neither side is ready to go to war, but see the possibility of more skirmishes in a disputed sea border off the west coast or along their heavily armed border buffer.
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