The following is a briefing by Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Kim Eun-hye at 9:47 this morning regarding the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in the West Sea late last night.

President Lee Myung-bak is presiding over a national security-related ministers meeting that began at 7:30a.m.

The President instructed the Armed Forces authorities to do all they can to rescue as many survivors as possible. At the same time, he said that the authorities concerned should find out what exactly transpired in the incident in a speedy and thorough manner, considering all possibilities.

There were no reports made at the meeting indicating that North Korea is behaving abnormally in connection with the incident.

The President also said, “The Government should notify families of the victims in detail and faithfully about the incident. It also has to explain the situation to the member countries of the Six-Party Talks in Beijing. The Government should accurately inform the ruling and opposition parties about the development of the incident as well.”

The President told the participating cabinet members to “take every measure so that the citizens will not be overly worried about the incident.”

Throughout the meeting, President Lee expressed sorrow and anguish over the missing of the 46 crew members and the agony of their families. The meeting is still continuing at the moment. I will try to brief the media organizations often even while the meeting is going on so that they will be fully informed about the situation.