South Korea conducts anti-submarine drills

SEOUL - The South Korean navy Thursday began manoeuvres on submarine defence off its western coast amid tensions with North Korea over the sinking of a South Korean warship.

The exercises were conducted far from the disputed sea border with North Korea in the Yellow Sea, the Yonhap News Agency reported, citing military officials.

The Cheonan corvette was sunk March 26 near that border. South Korea and an international team of investigators blamed North Korea for sinking the ship with a submarine-fired torpedo, killing 46 sailors.

The one-day drill off Taenan, about 150 km south-west of Seoul, involve 10 warships, including a 3,000-tonne destroyer, Yonhap said.

Depth charges and ship-mounted guns were to be tested in the exercises, it said.

Last week’s release of the findings of the Cheonan’s sinking have caused tensions on the Korean Peninsula to rise substantially. South Korea banned trade with its neighbour and said it would take the sinking to the UN Security Council while announcing a resumption of propaganda broadcasts from loudspeakers at the inter-Korean border.

North Korea, which has denied involvement in the sinking, cut off all ties with the South and has toughened its language toward Seoul, threatening that if its neighbour undertakes any retaliation, it would respond with tough measures that could include war.