South Korea marks anniversary of warship sinking

South Korea marks anniversary of warship sinking
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Summary A report said the warship 'Cheonan' was sunk by a torpedo on March 26 last year, killing the sailors

South Korea remembered the death of 46 sailors on Saturday as the country marked the first anniversary of a warship sinking, which it blamed on North Korea.A report by an international team of investigators said the warship Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo on March 26 last year, killing the sailors. South Korea blamed its communist neighbor, but North Korea has repeatedly denied responsibility.Our soldiers, who guarded the countrys honour until their death, are true heroes of our country. We will speak highly of the brave soldiers great patriotic spirit under the name of the Republic of Korea, Minister Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon, at the memorial service.Around 4,500 government and military officials, led by President Lee Myung-bak, and family members of the victims attended the memorial service, which was televised nationally.Family members of the dead sailors broke into tears, remembering the tragic death of their loved ones. Other civilians attended the ceremony, pledging to honour the soldiers in their everyday actions. The navy ship Cheonan sank while it sailed in the Yellow Sea off South Koreas west coast.The Cheonan incident raised tensions on the peninsula to its peak in 2010, aggravated by the Norths deadly shelling on civilians in a border island. Tensions had eased since the start of this year, with both sides calling for dialogue, raising hopes the neighbors could rebuild relations shattered over the past two years.The two Koreas remain technically at war under a truce that ended fighting in the 1950-1953 Korean War.
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