Three years later, the Cheonan sinking is still a divisive issue

[한겨레] Some experts pushing for re-experimentation to determine the cause of the sinking and settle the debate

By Kim Bo-geun, director of the Hankyoreh Peace Institute

'Head-to-Head'

This is how Jung Hyung-gon, co-chairman of Civil Peace Forum, described the 'underwater explosion simulation re-experimentation' of the Cheonan incident. Having been active in various unification and civic movements for twenty years, Jung thinks that the re-examination is the key to finding the truth about University of Virginia physics professor Lee Seung-hun's 'JIG data fabrication theory'. After the re-experimentation, it would be possible to determine which of JIG's and Professor Lee is making false claims.

The Cheonan was sunk on March 26, 2010 and still attracts speculation to this day, three years later. The JIG announced on May 20, 2010, "A North Korean 130t Yono-class submarine fired a 1.7t mid-sized CHT-02D torpedo and sunk the ROKS Cheonan". However, this announcement brought about suspicions that are causing on ongoing dispute about issues such as the existence of a Yono-class submarine, the veracity of a CHT-02D torpedo with a high corrosion rate, the problem of 'No. 1' marking on the propulsion section of the torpedo being salvaged after explosion, the inconsistency of the torpedo explosion and seismic wave data by the JIG, etc. Jung said, "Of these disputes, many parts are problems that are hard to find the truth, and are mostly presumptions". Because these disputes are based on presumptions and are hard to come to verify, the government's announcement that an explosion sank the Cheonan is not completely persausive.

Jung emphasized that Professor Lee's opinion of the 'JIG data fabrication theory' is an issue that can be clearly distinguished with re-experimentation. Through creating a neutral council, re-experiment and making the results public, the public will be able to judge whether the JIG's opinion, or Professor Lee's opinion is stronger.

To briefly summarize Professor Lee's opinion, "JIG fabricated the self-implemented 'underwater explosion simulation' data results show that a North Korean torpedo sunk the ROKS Cheonan".

It has been determined in the investigation results announced by the JIG on May 20, 2010, that the absorbing material (explosion experiment adsorbate C) created during the underwater explosion experiment was the same as the absorbing material (hull adsorbate A) found on the hull, and also the 'crucial evidence', absorbing material (torpedo adsorbate B) found on the propulsion section of the fired torpedo.

However, Professor Lee is not convinced by these results. The reason is that the hull adsorbate A and the torpedo adsorbate B were both analyzed by Yang Pan-suk, professor at the department of geology at the University of Manitoba and Jung Ki-young, professor at Andong National University, separately, and was determined to be 'Aluminum Sulfate Hydrates'. Aluminum Sulfate Hydrates are compounds that are not created through explosions but is a precipitate created at low temperatures under 100°C.

Therefore, Professor Lee believes, adsorbates A and B and their Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) analysis results are the same as JIG announced 1:0.9, aluminum to oxygen ratio. However, his position on JIG's explosion experiment adsorbate C's SED analysis result and aluminum to oxygen ratio being similar to adsorbates A and B is that the data is evidently fabricated. It is because the adsorbates from the explosion experiment should have 1:0.23, aluminum to oxygen ratio. Consequently, Professor Lee believes that the JIG hid their 1:0.23, aluminum to oxygen ratio experiment results and released fabricated data of being similar to adsorbates A and B.

Regarding this, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) replied to questions from the Hankyoreh on March 19 saying, "There is absolutely no fabrication in the results of JIG's experiments, and all three adsorbates (A, B, and C) are of same compounds. This is clearly evidence of a torpedo explosion". Moreover, in response to Prof. Lee's questioning, the Ministry said, "The adsorbates found on the hull of ROKS Cheonan and propulsion section are not Aluminum Sulfate. They consist of Amorphous Aluminum Oxide, and even if the adsorbates were of same compounds, if the powder has irregular surfaces, due to the nature of SED analysis, element composition ratios can differ significantly". The Ministry concluded with the statement, "Judging the truth of the explosion based on these evidences is unscientific".

Still, the dispute between Professor Lee's and the JIG has not improved over the past three years. The Ministry judges that the re-experiment request proves the distrust of the original experiment led by the government. Therefore, accepting the re-experiment request means acknowledging suspicions on the first experiment. However, because the split in public opinion has divided South Korean society, that division could cause of a loss of national power. The closure that could come from a conclusive re-experiment could benefit the national interest.

Jung explained that in 2011, conservatives agreed on the questionable nature of the matter, and worked together with progressives to address suspicions. At the time, Jung and conservative groups tried to hold a meeting with professors Lee Seung-hun and Yang Pan-suk.

Chairman Jung recalled, "At the time, a Zeitgeist spokesperson asked 'Would the government really have fabricated the data?', and the spokesperson also showed confidence by saying 'If everything is open for debate then suspicions will be settled and the truth of JIG's results will be confirmed". The academic symposium ultimately foundered because Yeonpyeong Island was shelled before the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies had fixed the re-experimentation date. Regardless of the fact that no appreciable results came from this attempt, the fact that the progressive and conservative organizations recognized the split in public opinion and tried to work to settle disagreements should be appreciated.

Another co-Chairman of Civil Peace Forum, Lee Tae-ho of People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) insisted that the National Assembly should take up a more active position on the settlement of suspicions and conflicts on the Cheonan incident. Secretary General Lee said, "Although a special committee for the Cheonan was composed at the 18th National Assembly, even a report wasn't chosen and the committee came to nothing. With the establishment of the Park Geun-hye administration which has no ties to the Cheonan sinking investigation report, there is need for the National Assembly and the National Defense committee to restart verification of suspicions". PSPD's statement on the second anniversary of the ROKS Cheonan incident on March 2012, announced, "As similar to the 911 committee created at the US Senate in relation with 911 terror investigation, a joint-special committee should be created by the ruling and opposition parties".

Chairman Jung also said, "The National Assembly should be the main actor in settling suspicions related to the Cheonan sinking. I am soon planning to work with civic groups to make sure the National Assembly plays its role".

Hopefully, the various plans including Chairman Jung's 'Head-to-Head' and its' results will be exposed to the citizens so that they can finally view the ROKS Cheonan incident with a 'unified perspective' at the fourth anniversary next year.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

공식 SNS [통하니][트위터][미투데이]| 구독신청 [한겨레신문][한겨레21]

Copyrights ⓒ 한겨레신문사, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지

<한겨레는 한국온라인신문협회(www.kona.or.kr)의 디지털뉴스이용규칙에 따른 저작권을 행사합니다.>