By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said Wednesday the government will offer a public apology, if needed, over the sinking of the 1,200-ton frigate Cheonan near the sea border with North Korea on March 26.
He, however, made it clear that the apology will be possible only after the military finds the exact cause of the naval disaster, which killed one sailor and left 45 others missing from the 104-member crew.
``We will apologize, if we have to. However, the first thing to do is to find out why the ship sank,'' Chung said during an interpellation session at the National Assembly.
Questioned if he would ask President Lee Myung-bak to apologize to the public over the tragedy, the prime minister said, ``Whoever apologizes, it will come after the ongoing investigation to reveal the ins and outs of the incident is completely finished. Please wait until then.''
Chung said President Lee received the first report on the ship sinking at 9:45 p.m. on March 26 through a hotline, some 23 minutes after the Cheonan, which, survivors from the wreckage said was on a routine patrol mission, split in two following an unexplained explosion.
Lee immediately convened an emergency security meeting to discuss the situation and check the possibility of North Korean involvement, according to presidential aides.
The military has changed the time of the explosion four times, raising suspicions that it was trying to conceal the truth.
Hours after the blast, the Navy announced it occurred at 9:45 p.m. Later, the military said it took place at 9:30 p.m., then 9:25 p.m. and finally 9:22 p.m.
Prime Minister Chung said the time changes resulted from confusion and inaccurate information. ``I don't think the military did it on purpose. There was a lot of confusion,'' Chung said.
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