By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff reporter
The United Nations Security Council Friday condemned the sinking of the South Korean warship, Cheonan, in a carefully worded presidential statement that avoided naming North Korea as the perpetrator.
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade welcomed the U.N. condemnation, saying that it meant the global body concurs with Seoul's finding that Pyongyang was responsible for the surprise attack that killed 46 South Korean sailors on March 26.
Following a closed-door session Thursday afternoon, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters that the United States had proposed a "presidential statement," agreed to by the five permanent UNSC members, along with Tokyo and Seoul.
Unlike a Security Council resolution, a presidential statement is not legally binding but does require agreement among permanent members ― China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Rice described the statement as "a very clear and appropriate response," adding that the step "shows the council's unity in confronting threats to peace and security."
"It underscores the importance of preventing further attacks and emphasizes the critical need to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the larger region," she said.
A draft version of the statement obtained by The Korea Times expressed the Security Council's "deep sympathy and condolences," deploring the loss of the 46 sailors, purportedly killed by a North Korean submarine torpedo attack near the maritime border in the West Sea.
The statement, however, does not directly blame North Korea for the incident, though an international joint civilian-military investigation team concluded that Pyongyang was clearly culpable for the tragedy.
Experts from Australia, Britain, U.S., Sweden, and South Korea participated in the inquest.
The statement "expresses deep concern" over the investigators' conclusion and calls for "appropriate and peaceful measures to be taken against those responsible," but it also noted the fact that North Korea "has stated it had nothing to do with the incident."
The draft was circulated among all 15 members of the Security Council.
Seoul referred the sinking of Cheonan to the Security Council on June 4.
leeth@koreatimes.co.kr
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