South Korean officials accuse the reclusive north Thursday of torpedoing one of its warships last March which caused the death of 46 sailors. North Korea has called the findings "fabricated" and said it was ready for all-out war if South Korea or its allies impose sanctions.
A joint investigation conducted by US, UK and Swedish officials found overwhelming evidence that debris from the torpedo matched exactly what previously gathered debris, concluding that a North Korean submarine had fired the torpedo.
"The preliminary conclusions reached through analysis matched identically with what the charge size and emplacement would be from this torpedo. "
The US and UK say they back the findings of the investigation. China, the only economic and political ally of the north, refrained from commenting directly, but called the sinking incident unfortunate.
"The sinking of Cheonan vessel is a very unfortunate incident. Maintaining the peace and stability of Korea Peninsula are the common will amongst people in this region and also consistent with interests of all sides."
The South Korean government has no plans for a retaliatory strike but has asked the international community for support in taking the appropriate actions.
Julie Noce, Reuters.
