South Korea's military plans to court-martial
several senior naval officers for their alleged negligence of duty in connection with the deadly sinking of a warship in March as a result of a
North Korean attack, a military source said Sunday.
"A related probe by military prosecutors is in the final stage," the source said, requesting anonymity.
The military plans to report the list of those who will face legal punishment to Defense Minister Kim Tae-young this week, the source added.
The move comes after an investigation by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), the state audit agency, last month into the military's
response to the sinking of the 1,200-ton Cheonan patrol ship that left 46 sailors dead. After a separate weeks-long probe assisted by foreign experts, South Korea concluded that a North Korean submarine had sneaked into South Korean waters and sunk the ship with a torpedo.
Many South Koreans condemned the North, but also took issue with the South's handling of the situation. They criticized their country's poor
vigilance despite early warning signs and the lengthy amount of time before the defense minister received a formal report on the incident.
The BAI also asked the defense ministry to reprimand 25 senior military officers, including 13 generals for their negligence of duty. The agency said a dozen of the 25 officers appear to have violated the military penal code. Lee Sang-eui has already stepped down from the post of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to take responsibility.
"As many of them deny the charges raised by the BAI, however, it is taking some time to get a grasp on the exact facts," the source said. "Some
will face court-martial based on the military criminal law."
At least two or three naval officers are expected to be court-martialed while the other officers accused by the BAI will face internal disciplinary measures through a related committee that will be convened within this week, according to another source.