S. Korea to Punish Senior Military Officers Over Sinking

On Tuesday, South Korea announced that four officers will be held accountable for the role they played in dealing with the sinking of the South Korean warship, the Cheonan, back in March.

The four officers, three of which are generals, have been under investigation for allegedly neglecting their duty on the night of the torpedo attack by North Korea.

State auditors are conducting the investigation and the officers will be punished according to the auditor’s findings. Following the March 26 accident auditors accused 24 military personnel of discrepancies in dealing with the incident.

Lee Sang-eui was fired as a result of the attack, auditors found him guilty of being asleep under the influence of alcohol while the warship was sinking.

Monday South Korea released the final report of the multinational probe into the attack, reaffirming the May 20 report that pointed to North Korea.

The initial report in May found that a North Korean torpedo sank the 1,200-ton Cheonan, near the countries disputed maritime border, killing 46 sailors. Pieces of the torpedo were recovered showing markings like that of N. Korean torpedoes.

The latest report gives more detail of the findings, including a probe of the hull of the ship, the propulsion device from the torpedo and traces of explosives that clearly point to North Korea as the attacker.