1st anniversary of Cheonan sinking

One year has passed since the sinking of the South Korean naval battleship Cheonan by North Korea, but the South`s main opposition Democratic Party refuses to admit that Pyongyang was behind the attack. How many more soldiers and civilians will have to die and suffer before the party admits the truth? Can it still claim to be a public party and leader of the opposition that seeks to serve the country?

Party floor leader Park Jie-won said Thursday, “Even today, the public and world-renowned scholars doubt the cause of the Cheonan sinking.” Yet according to a recent poll, more than 80 percent of South Koreans blame the North for sinking the warship. After the sinking, a joint civilian and government investigation team of 73 top-class experts from South Korea and other countries confirmed that the North was behind the sinking. They also discovered debris of a North Korean torpedo, which constitutes critical evidence. Nevertheless, Park has distorted the truth again by calling certain professors “world-renowned scholars” for claiming that the results of the study were not compatible with the conditions at the site of the explosion.

Lee Hoi-chang, chairman of the minor conservative Liberty Forward Party, said Friday, “Whether and how to conclude the Cheonan sinking depends on North Korea’s apology and pledge to prevent a recurrence,” adding, “(South Korea) should not take a reckless act that can help the North justify its rejection to apologize.” Lee is right in saying that if Park’s comments are the Democratic Party’s official stance, the party has no right to even mourn the loss of the 46 soldiers killed in the sinking. President Lee Myung-bak also said Friday, “It makes us sad that none of those who distorted the facts and consented to the North’s argument have courageously confessed their mistake.” He condemned people who seek to back the North’s stance by denying that the sinking was caused by a North Korean attack.

Strong national unity and a solid sense of national security are powerful weapons that can curb the North`s intent to attack the South by military action. Pyongyang has nuclear weapons, missiles, long-ranged artillery guns and chemical weapons, as well as 200,000 special forces. For South Korea to prevent another sinking, its government and public should accurately recognize the real face of the North and renew their commitment. Pyongyang must apologize for the sinking not just because it has to atone for its wrongdoing, but more importantly because the communist country must agree never to do it again.

In the wake of the first anniversary of the sinking, a memorial ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Daejeon National Cemetery to remember the 46 sailors killed on the ship. Other memorial events will also take place across the nation, including Seoul Plaza. All of the fallen soldiers are beloved sons, fathers and brothers of the people. Pro-North Korea groups, who focus on supporting the North’s claims, must wake up and see the prevailing memorial mood of the public in honor of the deceased.