Evidence scooped up by fishing trawler

By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter

The parts of a torpedo, the "conclusive evidence" indicating that North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the warship Cheonan, were recovered by a pair of fishing trawlers.

Yoon Deok-yong, the chief of the joint civilian-military investigation team, said trawlers were mobilized to contribute to the search efforts, taking into consideration the water currents around the site of the sinking.

"A pair of propellers, propeller motor and steering gear which were scattered on the seabed near Baekryeong Island were collected by a pair of fishing trawlers," Yoon said at a press conference.

The trawlers ― the 135-ton Daepyeong 11 and 12 ― were mobilized from May 10 and succeeded in recovering the propellers and other parts at 9.00 a.m., on May 15, Yoon said.

Kim Cheol-an, 51, the caption of one of the trawlers, said that some navy and investigation team members, were aboard the trawler when they found the evidence.

"Initially, I was skeptical about finding any decisive evidence. But the moment we lifted the parts, we were sure that they were the parts of a torpedo. I think it was luck from heaven," said Kim, who was present at the press conference.

The trawlers had been engaged in bottom trawling within a 500 meter radius of the site of the sinking several times.

"The nets broke twice during the search and we had a lot of other trouble before discovering the torpedo parts. We had to make smaller but stronger nets and circle four to eight times a day," the captain said. "We searched the site dozens of times."

The pair of trawlers left Busan Port on April 27 and arrived at the site four days later. In the past, trawlers had been mobilized to collect evidence when fighters crashed at sea. In April, the sunken stern of Cheonan was also discovered by a trawler.

어선이 건져 올린 증거물

천안함이 북한의 공격을 받았다는 것을 증명해줄 “결정적인 단서” 인 어뢰 부분이 어선에 의해 발견되었다. 윤덕용 민군조사단 단장은 침몰 위치의 해류를 고려, 조사의 능률을 높이기 위해 어선을 투입했다고 밝혔다.

135톤급 대평 11호와 12호인 어선은 5월 10일 조사에 합류해 5월 15일 아침9시 어선의 프로펠러부분과 그 밖의 증거물을 찾는데 성공했다. 한 어선의 선장인 김철안(51)씨는 해군 일부와 조사팀이 증거물 발견 당시 같이 승선해 있었다고 밝혔다.

이 두 어선은 침몰장소 반경 500m의 해면 바닥을 수색했다. 김선장은 “수사를 하는 동안 그물이 두 번이나 찢어졌고 어뢰의 부분을 찾기 전 많은 어려움이 있었다. 우리는 좀더 작고 튼튼한 그물을 만들었고 매일 4~8차례나 구역을 돌았다” 고 말했다.

이 어선들은 4월 27일 부산항을 떠나 4일 후 도착했다. 과거에 전투기가 추락했을 때에도 어선들이 증거를 찾아 돌아다녔다. 지난 4월 천안함 선미부분도 어선에 의해 발견되었다.

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