North Korean escapees say North Korea attack resulted in sinking of Cheonan...

A Japanese daily says the North Korean escapees who arrived in South Korea from Japan earlier this month believe that North Korea was behind the sinking of the Cheonan naval corvette in March of last year.

The Sankei Shimbun quoted some of the nine North Korean escapees as saying Saturday that they believe the sinking of the naval ship was the result of a North Korean attack. The escapees said that the North’s military apparently planned the attack to make the incident look like an achievement of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s heir-apparent Kim Jong-un.

One of the escapees who said he believes the North masterminded the naval ship’s sinking was a man who has identified himself as the grandson of a former president of the North’s Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.

The North Korean escapees reached Japan in a wooden boat last month and subsequently asked to be transferred to South Korea. They arrived in Seoul on October fourth.
(KBS World Radio, 10 15,2011)