President Lee Myung-bak presided over the 14th Cabinet meeting this morning.

At the meeting, the President said that he felt inexpressible regret over the fact that the survival of the 46 young sailors, who were safeguarding the homeland near a maritime border when there was a sudden explosion on their ship and who are still missing, had yet to be confirmed. He continued to call on the participants not to lose hope to the last.

The President also urged the necessity of conducting a scientific investigation into the incident as soon as possible. He went on to warn that any unfounded speculation or hasty conclusion would cause confusion, thus worsening the grief of the families of missing crewmen. A thorough investigation has to be conducted, and the findings have to be made public transparently so as not to leave any doubt, the President added.

The President said that he had been told that there is a strong current at the site and visibility in the water is extremely low. The best efforts have to be channeled into the rescue operations and investigation. However, all such efforts should not proceed in a hasty manner in order to prevent yet another unfortunate accident. Fast action is important, but special precautions are required to prevent any safety accidents in the process.

Since the incident happened at the frontline, the Government should be thoroughly prepared to cope with any movement on the part of North Korea. The armed forces are urged to maintain full alert without the slightest breach.

He concluded by saying “This is truly a difficult time. We all have to gather collective strength and wisdom. I ask you to remain fully alert and do your best to fulfill your assigned duties.”