(LEAD) S. Korea marks 10th anniversary of Cheonan sinking

All News 11:27 March 26, 2020

(ATTN: ADDS more info in last 3 paras)

SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was to hold a ceremony Thursday to mark the 10th anniversary of North Korea's deadly sinking of a South Korean warship, the Navy said.

The warship Cheonan went down near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas, on March 26, 2010, killing 46 sailors. After an international probe, the South concluded the sinking was caused by a torpedo attack by a North Korean submarine.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo was to preside over the memorial ceremony at the Navy's 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul. Also in attendance will be survivors and the bereaved families of the fallen sailors.

The Navy said the event will be held in a scaled-back manner with tightened quarantine measures due to the new coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the military is mulling naming one of its new frigates "Cheonan" in an effort to honor the sacrifices and patriotism of the fallen sailors and carry on their commitment to maritime defense, according to the defense ministry.

Names of warships are decided through a Navy committee months before their launching ceremony.

"Our military will not forget the Cheonan warriors' noble sacrifices for our country and people," ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo said.