By Lee Hyo-sik
The Seoul Administrative Court Friday rejected a petition filed by a civic group seeking to force the Ministry of National Defense to disclose the entire image of the sinking frigate Cheonan in waters near the disputed inter-Korean border on March 26 captured by a thermal observation device (TOD).
In April, the Human Rights Center for Soldiers filed a complaint with the court after the ministry refused to release TOD images.
At that time, the ministry claimed that the images are a matter of national security and that the disclosure could harm South Korea’s interests.
The center then took legal action against the defense ministry, saying that with the world already aware that a North Korean torpedo attack sank the naval ship, making the TOP images public would not compromise national security.
``If the entire TOD images, recorded by the military surveillance devices installed at observation points on Baengnyeong, the country’s northernmost island, are made public, the Marines’ surveillance area, the location of guard posts and other sensitive military information could be identified,” the court said. “The information could make it easier for enemy troops to infiltrate into the area or attack guard posts.’’
It also said the military had already released some TOD images of the sinking Cheonan on three occasions. ``The undisclosed images are not much different from those already made public. It is unlikely for the public to gain much from the yet undisclosed footage.’’
Following the sinking of the naval ship, the defense ministry disclosed partial TOD images of the frigate split into two and slowly sinking into the water. When the ministry showed the first video footage, it said that was the only footage, but days later it came forward with another clip.
Its back-and-forth statements made the public believe that the military may be keeping crucial information from the public.
The court also rejected the center’s petition for the release of Cheonan’s voyage logbook and written orders of the defense minister and top military commanders, saying the disclosure could compromise South Korean navy’s defense posture toward the North.