The torpedo used in the South Korea’s warship attacks was produced at a North Korean factory two years ago, a Japanese daily reported July 22.
According to Sankei Shimbun, U.S. intelligence officials informed South Korea and Japan that the propulsion motors of the torpedo had been manufactured at ``January 18th Factory” in Gaecheon, South Pyeongan Province, the outcome in an analysis of confidential documents from the country.
The U.S. also notified the two nations of the information in mid-June after the Korean investigation team had presented their results on the incident, the paper reported. The U.S. also informed that North Korea had planned to export propulsion motors, excluding the warhead, of the torpedo to South American countries in 2008.
The U.S. intelligence authorities have keen interest in the ``January 18th Factory,” as it is known to produce engine parts and components of ballistic missiles. Though North Korea has denied its connection to the torpedo attack, U.S. officials judge that “there could not be another place where the parts in same shape are manufactured.”
The investigation team indicted North Korea for the Cheonan attacks after discovering a propulsion motor and a steering gear of the torpedo at the scene of the ship sunk that matched those on the blueprint of a North Korean torpedo set for foreign export.