In order to identify the cause of the sinking of Republic of Korea Ship Cheonan on March 26, and to secure the objectivity and credibility of the investigation, the Ministry of National Defense organized the Civilian-Military Joint Investigation Group which includes foreign experts. The Ministry of National Defense reported the findings on May 20.
Afterwards, the Ministry of National Defense complemented the investigation results and analyzed data in detail to publish the Joint Investigation Group Report on the Attack Against ROKS Cheonan in both Korean and English.
The report is significant in the following senses: ①it is the first report on an investigation in which not only the hull of a ship sunk by a torpedo attack was salvaged, and the propulsion device of the torpedo - the conclusive evidence - was recovered, but the explosives' residue was also discovered and analyzed ②it let North Korea and the international community know that even the most covert attack leaves evidence ③it especially sends a solemn warning to North Korea not to engage in any further military provocations.
This report became internationally verified by: ①detailing the entire process of the investigation covering all possible causes of the sinking ②conforming to the Global Standard by applying IMO's maritime investigation evaluative framework ③arranging the contents to be easily understood by using over 300 pictures and tables ④having all members of the CIV-MIL JIG, including foreign experts, participate in the process of writing the report.
This report will be distributed to the press, National Assembly, government agencies, foreign embassies, and the domestic and foreign academic groups and research institutions. The report will also be accessible on the internet, and sold to the general public.
We hope that Joint Investigation Group Report on the Attack Against ROKS Cheonan will serve as the basis for accurately understanding the truth regarding the incident, and we are grateful for our fellow citizens' support.
Link : http://www.cheonan46.go.kr/100
