Singapore–South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said on Friday that Seoul had complained to the United Nations Security Council about the sinking of its naval ship by the North in March.
“Today, the Republic of Korea government referred the matter of North Korea’s attack against the Cheonan to the UN Security Council,” said Lee, speaking at a security conference in Singapore.
“North Korea must admit its wrongdoing, it must pledge to never again engage in such reprehensible action. This is in the interest of peace. This is in the interest of North Korea.”
The United States said earlier, however, that South Korea may not seek a full-blown UN Security Council resolution against the North over the sinking of the warship because of concerns over rising tensions on the peninsula.
“It is not clear exactly what path the Republic of Korea intends to pursue in the U.N., whether it’s a resolution or a president’s letter, whatever,” US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Singapore.
“Not going for a resolution, I think, is not a manifestation of a lack of recognition of the nature of the provocation we’ve seen from North Korea but maybe more addressed to the worry about provoking further instability and further provocations,” he said after talks with his South Korean counterpart.
