By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter
Lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties Monday criticized the military for its lackluster performance in rescuing sailors from a patrol ship that sank in the West Sea Friday night after an explosion.
Rep. Kim Dong-sung of the governing Grand National Party pointed out that it was a civilian ship which found the missing stern of the damaged warship at around 4:20 p.m. Sunday with its fish finder.
According to Defense Minister Kim Tae-young, Navy P3C maritime patrol aircraft and Lynx Helicopters were promptly dispatched to the site of the incident, but their sonar technology was not capable of detecting motionless objects.
Minister Kim also attributed the Navy's late discovery to the inaccuracy of its initial prediction ― some 200 meters off the mark ― and the travel time for mine detection vessels to arrive at the site.
Rep. Kim also said a failure to properly set up a buoy is another main cause for delays in the rescue mission.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of National Defense said that the Navy set up a buoy, but it appeared to have broken free due to strong waves.
However, Minister Kim ruled out the chance of the military's clumsy installation, saying he will confirm the matter later.
Independent lawmaker Shim Dae-pyong also pointed out that the Navy lacks rescue equipment that would help overcome strong waves and low visibility.
When asked how many underwater exploration vehicles Korea has, Minister Kim replied none, saying only a handful number of countries, such as the United States, have them.