President Lee Pays Respects to Rescue Diver
Kim Young-jin
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak paid tribute Friday to a Navy officer who had died while searching for the 46 missing sailors from the sunken warship Cheonan, at a memorial service at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
Han, a veteran of the Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), complained of decompression sickness and fell unconscious during a diving operation to reach the submerged vessel. He died after being rushed to a hospital. He was 53.
President Lee, at a breakfast meeting with ruling party officials earlier Friday, called for bipartisanship in dealing with the incident, urging political parties to "unite in the April session of the National Assembly as it is a matter of national security."
He also asked for a calm response in the wake of the tragic incident. ``North Korea and the international community are watching (South Korea's handling of the situation),'' he said. ``We should look into the case in a calm manner and use it as a chance to elevate national capability.''
Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, in a meeting with Cabinet ministers Friday, reiterated that the government will make an all-out effort to rescue the missing seamen.
``The incident is not restricted to the defense ministry and the military. The entire nation, including the Cabinet, should be united to cope with it,'' he said.
Han, who is survived by his wife and two children, was among those working in treacherous conditions to enter the stern of the Cheonan. Currently the South Korean Navy, joined by U.S. Navy vessels, is continuing its mission to rescue the missing and recover the ship.
The warship sank last Friday near the western sea border with North Korea after an explosion on board, which remains unexplained, caused it to break into two parts and sink. Of the 104 crew members, 58 were rescued.