Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kim Sung-chan is clearly angry:
In a eulogy that followed, Adm. Kim Sung-chan, the Navy chief of staff, hailed the heroic endeavors of the Cheonan soldiers and vowed to take revenge on whomever attacked the ship.
“What happened on March 26 at Baengnyeong Island [near which the ship sank] should not have happened,” Kim read, his voice trembling.
The nation’s military leaders plus Gen. Walter Sharp, commander of the U.S. Combined Forces Command, were in attendance.
“We cannot and must not forgive this or forget this. Whoever caused our people great pains, we will not sit idly by. We will pursue [the responsible party] to the end and make it pay a huge price.
I actually tend to agree with the Hankyoreh that some of the reporting on Cheonan has been irresponsible, but it seems to me the Navy is certain this was no accident.
On a final note, while I’m not one to take joy in anything that happens at a funeral, I did feel some degree of satisfaction reading that the mother of one of the fallen, Senior Chief Petty Officer Min Pyeong-gi, harangued Democratic Labor Party chairman Kang “The Hanboked One” Ki-gap (can’t watch the video) — he who apparently thinks the Americans know what happened to the Cheonan — after the floral tribute:
After a floral tribute, the mother of the late Senior Chief Petty Officer Min Pyeong-gi approached the chairman of the progressive Democratic Labor Party, Kang Ki-kap, who was seated in the front row. She said, “North Koreans killed my son. Please, never say (we should assist North Korea),” and then collapsed.
She actually said a bit more than that.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Bravo to Min’s mother! Love to see PIX or video of that linked to the websites of every North Korea apologist on the planet.
Kang deserved every bit of that public rebuke too.
I don’t think the DLP could sponsor someone for dog catcher and win now.
I can only hope this video goes viral…
Seems to me that rebuking Kang doesn’t go far enough. Much of Korea conveniently forgot NK’s malevolent acts, particularly KL flight 858, and double dealing. Cozying up to KJI, giving him mad money, and pouring him a snifter after snifter of cognac hasn’t accomplished much for South Korea, unless funding KJI’s nuclear development was Seoul’s goal too. At the very least Hyundai, Kim Dae Jung, officials of the Unification Ministry, the Kaesong investors, and all those Gumgang tourists need to exercise a bit of self reflection.
Say what you will about just what the facts are – regardless of headlines, every story I read responsibly states that either a torpedo r a mine caused the sinking – how Seoul is trying to deflect this onto Pyongyang shows a bit of talent, but not much.
If anything good comes of this it will be that people might just start to wake up to who the real enemy is.
I had goose bumps watching that video. I’m glad to see Kang Gi-gap get a very emotional, very public chewing-out. I especially liked when he tried to comfort the poor woman and got rebuked. Sadly, it has taken the murder of 46 of Korea’s finest for people to start coming to their senses.
One would think that as a practicing Catholic, Mr. Kang would have some compassion for the plight of his “brothers and sisters” north of the DMZ. Unfortunately, the only “brother” he seems to have compassion for is the one who needs it least.
On an aside, I once stood about 4 feet from Mr. Kang and I can report that he is very short. Probably no more than 5’5”. Hmmm…KJI is pretty short as well. Maybe that’s why Kang has so much love for him.
just noticed, nice & sensible touch at the top right corner of the blog, robert.
And I clearly don’t know how to use blockquotes.
“how Seoul is trying to deflect this onto Pyongyang shows a bit of talent, but not much.”
–Left Flank
Could you explain for us what you mean by this? Do you doubt that the DPRK attacked the ROK? What causes you to doubt? And why do you think that the ROK is trying to frame the DPRK?
Oh North Korea is the real enemy. And the DLP come off looking like fools for being so soft on them.
I will never forget seeing an interview some years ago on a Korean current affairs show (was it 그것이 알고 싶다?) about the South Korean sailors who were killed in 2002 in a clash with North Korea. Was it 6 or 8 of them? Anyway they spoke with the family members, who all were heartbroken that the SK government had not only ignored them, but disgraced their memory by not putting up any memorial.
One young widow had moved to New York illegally and was washing dishes in a Chinatown restaurant and living alone in a rented room. She was so hurt by the government’s treatment (in its efforts to “reconcile” with Pyongyang) that she vowed never to return.
If I remember correctly, there was a follow up on her story after LMB was made Prez. I think she returned to Seoul.
Let’s not forget those sailors either.
[A caveat, although I wish to remember the fallen, that doesn't necessarily mean I think it is wise to lash out against North Korea in a military strike - assuming that it is proven that Pyongyang was responsible, as looks increasingly likely.]
How about this week’s open forum devoted to brainstorming creative and mostly non-military ways to make North Korea pay for this?
I believe it’s time to considering bringing about an end to the 62-year Frankenstein creation that is the DPRK.
President Lee Myung Bak in China, snubs North Korea’s Kim Young Nam.
http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/04/30/2010043002235.html?Dep1=news&Dep2=top&Dep3=top
According to the picture and the story, Prez Lee totally ignored the North Korean leader. He didn’t say “hi” and he didn’t even look at the North Korean’s way.
Funny that article – that must hurt a lot, somehow reminds me of a scenario of a girl ignoring someone she fancies, and telling her girlfriends, “I didn’t even look in his direction I’m sure he noticed. “
“somehow reminds me of a scenario of a girl ignoring someone she fancies, and telling her girlfriends, “I didn’t even look in his direction I’m sure he noticed. “
That would hold if it were Roh Moo-hyun or DJ doing the snubbing unlikely), but does not reflect LMB’s temperament or views.
LMB should have put an emptied glass, a half-eaten cocktail weenie and a mucus-filled, crumbled up napkin on KYN’s tray and said in the crudest banmal: “I’ll have another round, boy!”
Still doesn’t take away from the feeling that one of 2MB’s posses told Chosun at a pyjama party or a pillow fight, from the tone and the content of the article.
Yuna, I think Lee Myung Bak was wrong in ignoring the North Korean entourage at the guest party in China. Lee shouldn’t have done that. That was terrible. He should have punched the lights out on Kim Young Nam.
Now that’s a satisfying revenge without causing a war in Korea.
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