South Korea on alert after mine theory in sinking
South Korea's President ordered the military on alert yesterday for any moves by rival North Korea after the Defence Minister said last week's explosion and sinking of a South Korean ship could have been caused by a North Korean mine. The blast ripped the 1200-tonne ship apart last Saturday during a routine patrol mission near Baengnyeong Island, along the tense maritime border west of the Korean Peninsula. Fifty-eight crew members, including the captain, were plucked to safety; 46 remain missing with dim prospects for finding any further survivors. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the exact cause was unclear, and US and South Korean officials said there was no outward indication of North Korean involvement.