South Korea loses track of North’s subs


http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/26/2910229.htm

By North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy

Posted 24 minutes ago

A South Korean submarine is believed to have been sunk by a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine (Reuters: Jung Yeon-je)

South Korea’s military is trying to track four North Korean submarines that have disappeared from radar screens in the East Sea.

Tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang was blamed for sinking a South Korean warship.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency has quoted an unnamed military official as saying that four North Korean submarines have vanished from radar screens.

The 300-tonne Sang-O class submarines are part of Pyongyang’s 40-strong fleet.

They disappeared after leaving their base in the country’s north-east two days ago.

The South Korean and United States militaries are preparing to hold anti-submarine drills near the site of the sinking of the Cheonan.

The 1,200-tonne corvette Cheonan sank in the Yellow Sea on March 26, leaving 40 sailors confirmed dead and six still unaccounted for.

It is believed to have been sunk by a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine.

Earlier this week the South announced a series of measures against Pyongyang over the sinking.

South Korea said it would cut trade ties, vowed to take North Korea to the UN Security Council and pledged to undertake joint military exercises with the United States.

North Korea’s official news agency says the country is severing all relations with the South and cutting communication links with Seoul.

Meanwhile, United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton says South Korea has America’s full support in dealing with Pyongyang.

Ms Clinton is in Seoul to meet president Lee Myung-Bak to discuss possible responses to the sinking of the warship.

She says the international community has a duty to respond to the torpedo attack.

“We will be working together to chart a course of action in the United Nations Security Council,” she said.

“We call on North Korea to halt its provocations, end its policy of threats and belligerence towards its neighbours and take steps now to fulfil its denuclearisation commitments and comply with international law.”

One response to “South Korea loses track of North’s subs

  1. Ron Whaley

    “We will be working together to chart a course of action in the United Nations Security Council,”
    And Hillary thinks this will do what? It sure as hell will not deture that nut job in the North one bit. And the UN is useless as tits on a boar hog….. We need to pull out of the UN and save our money. Turn the UN building into a very large apartment complex and be done with it and them.

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