South Korea On Alert

The South Korean military has been put on high alert after one of its patrol boats,the 1200-ton Cheonan,exploded,breaking up and sinking in disputed waters just off the North Korean coast.South Korean and U.S. Navy ships were on standby in the area as rescue efforts proceeded.Fifty-eight sailors were rescued,and 46 are unaccounted for.At first,South Korean authorities downplayed a North Korean role in the sinking of the warship,which had been in a previous clash with North Korea.The area has been the scene of repeated naval conflicts in recent years,some involving casualties.
A diver perished in the rescue attempt.It had been hoped there might be survivors in air pockets in the wreckage.The rescue effort continued into nighttime hours.The South Korean defense minister,Kim Tae-young,raised the possibility of a North Korean mine,either left over from the Korean War or deliberately floated toward the Cheonan,being the cause of the tragedy.The U.S. Navy has made advances in mine detection and neutralizing a priority,with several new helicopter-based systems currently in the testing phase.