Not the Way a Democratic Republic Works
I. Introduction
Boom! With the exploding noise that could only have been heard by 104 people on the ship itself, March of 2010 suddenly turned into the month of grief for everyone in Korea. All they showed us on TV was the scene where the relatives of the killed soldiers of Cheon-An-Ham incident bursted tears and cried out the names. People who were not related to the situation at all cried together at home, through the TV, watching those who had lost their family. This showed how much of a big deal the incident was and how it was more important than anything to search for the cause of it as soon as possible. Though every single citizen was waiting for the quick and accurate result, what Korean government has done could never reach up to their expectations. It was neither quick nor slow. Rather, it made people wonder how the process of searching could take this long and get suspicious of the result they were forced to accept by any means.
II. The Incident Itself
On 16th of March 2010, a marine corvette Cheon-An-Ham left off shore from the second marine fleet base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeong-Gi, South Korea for guarding the shores and patrolling, with 104 soldiers inside. Because of harsh wind, the ship moved toward the south eastern side of Dae-Cheong Island from the guarding line near Baek-Ryeong Island on 25th of the same month. They went back to Baek-Ryeong Island the next morning at 8:20 a.m.
Twenty nine of them were guarding the shores by themselves after 8:00 p.m. in the evening. At 9:21 p.m., on KNTDS (Korean Naval Tactical Data System), 37 degree of the north latitude, 55 minutes and 45 seconds within 124 degree of the east longitude, 36 minutes and 2 seconds, the corvette was seen on 25 km away from the shore and at a depth of 24 meters (Kang, 32). The ship was confirmed to be at a speed of 11.67 km per hour and the wind velocity was 37 km per hour where the height of the wave was three meters. One minute later the corvette suddenly disappeared from the KNTDS screen, engine exploded and contact disconnected. 60 percent of the ship sank underwater in less than ten minutes. Finally at 9:28 p.m., they requested for help and 58 of 104 soldiers were saved at the time.
III. Evidence Given by the Inquiry Commission of Army
It seemed to take forever to rescue the 46 soldiers left in the ocean. During the process, more than nine soldiers drowned, which aroused public opinion to stop doing so. They converted the work from rescuing operation to the salvage of the corvette. After a few days, the Inquiry Commission of Army announced the result report for the Cheon-An-Ham incident. They concluded the cause of the event as an attack from North Korea. To summarize what they have written on the inquiry report, there are about five evidences that prove how it is all by a torpedo from North Korea exploding the corvette.
First of all, the keel of the ship was deformed to the top of it compared to that prior to the incident. This seemed to be caused by a shock wave and Bubble Jet and showed that there was an underwater explosion. Also, the report said that the survivors and the soldiers who were at the shore when the incident occurred made a statement that they heard a great noise of explosion and saw a white pole on the sea (Cheon-An-Ham, 2). Thirdly, when they examined the corpses, there was a fracture of a bone, but not any skin burn, and this also agreed with the occurrence of the shock wave and Bubble Jet. So did the seismic wave and the aerial sound wave analyzed. Last but not least, they found a torpedo that had the same adsorbed substance with the one found on the surface of the corvette under the sea. There was this sign “number 1” written in Korean letters on it. The torpedo was proved to have been created the same as the print of what North Korea used to draw for exporting in the past (Ha, 43). They considered this last one as the most concrete evidence of the theory that this was all conducted by North Korea. As a result of all these clear evidences, the government reached the conclusion of North Korean torpedo having attacked the corvette.
IV. Introduction to Possible Suspicions
On the other hand, to look at the evidences provided by the government, we can easily find there actually is no clear evidence which allows us to the conclusion drawn previously. Some of them are even proved wrong, and most of them are very inaccurate. The torpedo they found underwater and presumptions for that seem suspicious for its being too old. Not only the torpedo matters, but also the interviews they mentioned in the report are all illogical.
V. Suspicion on the Torpedo
To start with, there are a lot of weaknesses in arguing the torpedo to be the cause of the underwater explosion that would have made the corvette sunk. The sign “number 1” could rather be an evidence to prove that the torpedo was not used to destroy the ship. According to Dr. Lee Seung Hun of the department of Physics at Virginia State University, the ink on the surface of the torpedo should have been burnt already if there were any explosions occurred. Usually torpedoes become hotter than 350 degrees in Celsius which would burn out any kind of ink in permanent pens such as toluene that has a boiling point of 110.6 degrees in Celsius. Thus, even if only 13% of heat from the explosion were transferred to the surface of the torpedo itself, it would have been impossible for the ink to remain on it (Lee).
Also, there is a controversy going over the existence of a scallop that an online blogger named “Autumn Night” found on the surface of the torpedo in the picture. The scallop was confirmed to be a Patinopecten yessoensis which only lives in the East Sea of Korea. The suspicious part of it is right here. The Cheon-An-Ham incident happened in the West Sea of Korea which is the very opposite side of where that kind of scallops breeds. Right after this suspicion had been raised in public, the government quickly removed the scallop from the torpedo. They said they actually sent a picture of it to the Malacological Society of Korea and it was proved to be a Chlamys farreri. However, we never know whether they sent the right picture or not. The fact that they removed the shell is suspicious enough and shows that they have been at least trying to hide something from the authority. A television program called “Tracking 60 Minutes” got rejected to be broadcasted just because it mentioned there was this scallop found (Han Y. B.).
Moreover, the plan sheet the government first casted as an evidence for the torpedo having been made in North Korea was clarified to be a fake one. The government admitted that they had included a piece of false evidence (Han K. S.). They put a lot of effort like drawing the plan sheet by themselves in order to make the incident seem to be done by North Korea.
The argument on the adsorbed substance that was found both on the front part of the corvette and the torpedo was not logical either. Dr. Lee at Virginia State University had an experiment on this matter apart from the ink controversy. The structures of crystallization showed that the substances found were actually two different kinds (Park). These four big suspicions are clear enough to argue against the result the government has announced.
VI. Illogic of the Interview
Furthermore, the interview with the survivors and observers that the Inquiry Commission of Army mentioned in the report was proved insufficient for people to accept. What the soldiers said for the interview was the fact that some drops of water splashed into their face when the incident occurred. The government has been considering this statement as one of the key factors that leads to the conclusion of explosion having taken place without any other statement from the observers. According to the television program “Tracking 60 Minutes” on KBS, at another interview with the soldiers, the parties concerned made a comment that they did not see anything that could be a water column. This contradicts the idea of the government expecting the water column that would be about 82 m to 105 m tall to last for at least 10 to 15 seconds. On the affidavit that one of the soldiers has turned in, it says “I didn’t see any water columns” (Lies).
None of the soldiers on the ship got any kind of disorders on ears which they would probably have had if there were an explosion by the torpedo. The government kept arguing they might have had some loss of memory, but being silent about the fact they did not get any other kind of disorders (Kim). This proves there is not any direct relationship between the interview with the soldiers and the explosion itself.
VII. Alternative
Couldn’t there be any other causes for the incident? The answer to this very basic question is “Definitely yes and there are many.” One of the most reliable alternatives that would prove the explosion to be false is the “Striking a Rock Theory”. There are numerous evidences supporting this theory. First of all, the section of the corvette is very square and level. It opens up a possibility of the ship striking into a rock. If it were by the explosion, the section would have been disrupted very much (Na). Also, an observer of the corvette clarified that the propeller was bent and the surface underneath the ship was a complete mess. The location where the corvette sank was near the part that the water depth was very low, almost 2 meters deep (Evidences). The two big pieces of evidence show there is a bigger possibility of the ship crashing to a rock rather than being exploded by a torpedo attack.
VIII. Reaction of the Government at the Suspicions
The government admitted almost all of the suspicions mentioned previously. The problem is that even after admitting, they still believe it was all because of the torpedo explosion done by North Korea, or maybe they want to believe so. Whatever the reason is, they are putting pressure on people to accept the result they announced, exercising governmental authority. They even arrested a lot of innocent people for just throwing out questions on whether their announcement was true or not on online websites such as Daum Agora, for profaning the honor of the country. Not only arresting them, they publically questioned doubts on people who even mentioned the accuracy of the investigations as if they were all spies from North Korea. In addition to this, manufacturers of the previously mentioned TV program “Tracking 60 minutes” got disciplinary measures for broadcasting stuff that contradicted the idea of Korean government (Tracking).
IX. Praising Cheon-An-Ham 46 “Heroes”
Now the government is trying to make the 46 soldiers who died from the incident as the heroes of the country. Although they were poor soldiers who accidentally died while guarding the country, the way Korean government turns them into great heroes is too much. On the back of PR brochures of the Governmental party, there are pictures of the 46 soldiers with the line saying “we always remember your effort on keeping us safe from the evils”. Here, the evils are North Koreans (Han-Nara). The same phrase with related images has been on television for a very long time. It is true that they died during the process of keeping the country safe since they were guarding coast lines. However, it seems that the government is doing too much to turn the soldiers into heroes, along with making North Korea as the evil to everyone.
X. Why North Korea?
There is an assumed reason why South Korean government is trying hard to drive to the conclusion of North Korea being the evil. Usually, when a country is insecure, like the case of North Korea attacking South Korea with the torpedo if it is true, people are favorable to the Governmental party. This kind of danger helps accomplishing the unity of citizens and makes them more loyal to the government. The incident was on the 25th of March and there was a local election on the second day of May. Though it is unproved, many are guessing the government and the party in power were trying to use the incident as an advantage for them on the election. There cannot any other clear suspicions why they kept sticking on making North Korea the evil apart from this one. It had to be the conduct of North Korea for them.
XI. Conclusion
There are too much of inaccuracy and falseness of the government dealing with the Cheon-An –Ham incident. The given evidence about the torpedo found was all proved fake and the interview they attached was insufficient. The way they forced people to follow their reasoning of consequences are almost like the way of a despotic state. There is and there must be reasons why they are doing so. Whatever that is, it cannot be considered just.
This piece of writing is not to say that the incident was not done by North Korea, however, to express the necessity for more accurate and logical investigations and reasoning on matters. If they truly want to get favors from people, Korean government needs to finish up this controversy not by force and illogic, but by facts. The truth of the Cheon-An-Ham incident should be clarified. Concealing everything forcefully is not the way how a democratic republic operates. Accepting everything by force is not the way either.
Works Cited
l PRINT MATERIALS - BOOKS
Kang, Tae Ho. Asking Cheon-An-Ham (천안함을 묻는다). Paju: Chang Bi, 2010.
Cheon-An-Ham Attack Incident (천안함 피격사건). Paju: the Ministry of National Defense, 2010
l PRINT MATERIALS - ARTICLES
Na, Yoon Hee. “The Rock Theory (좌초설).” Hangeorae (한겨레) 04. 27 (2010): 6
Ha, Ki Sub. “Cheon-An-Ham Incident (천안함 사건).” Chosun Daily (조선일보) 02.13 (2011): 4.
Han, You Bang. “More on Cheon-An-Ham (천안함이 더 있다).” Kyeong Hyang Daily (경향신문) 09.13 (2010): 8.
Han-Nara Dang. “The 46 Heroes (46용사들).” The PB Brochure of the Republicans (한나라당 홍보 책자) (2010): 4.
Kim, Min Ha. “No Disorders (이상은 없다).” Kyeong Hyang Daily (경향신문) 09.15 (2010): 8.
Lee, Myung Hee. “Truth of Cheon-An (천안의 진실).” Hangeyorae Column (한겨레칼럼) 04.27 (2010): 3-4.
Park, Sun Duck. “New Evidences? (새로운 증거?)” Hangeyorae Column (한겨레칼럼) 07.15 (2010): 7.
l ON THE WEB
Evidences Tell the Striking Theory (좌초된 천안함 증거물이 말한다). 12 of July 2010. Daum Blog (다음 블로그). 8 of April 2011 <http://blog.daum.net/jiojoung/15664359>
Lies on North Korea (거짓말 북한 대응 사격 자주포는 3문, 레이더는 무용지물). 25 of November 2010. Pressian Daily (프레시안). 10 of May <http://www.pressian.com/article/article.asp?article_num=60101125173038§ion=03>.
<Tracking 60 Minutes> on Cheon-An-Ham subjected to disciplinary punishment (방통심의위 '정치 심의'…<추적60분> 천안함 편에 중징계). 6 of January 2011. Pressian Daily (프레시안). 24 of April 2011 <http://www.pressian.com/article/article.asp?article_num=60110106152900§ion=06>.
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기