Seoul non sta considerando la possibilità di revocare le sanzioni imposte a Pyongyang dopo il naufragio della corvetta sudcoreana Cheonan del marzo del 2010. Lo ha detto oggi il ministro dell’Unificazione sudcoreano Cho Myoung-gyon. Mercoledì, il ministro degli Esteri sudcoreano Kang Kyung-wha ha detto che Seoul stava considerando l’ipotesi della rimozione delle sanzioni unilaterali introdotte dopo l’incidente con la nave da guerra. “Non è stata fatta alcuna ipotesi di revisione dettagliata, tuttavia, nella ricerca di scambi e cooperazione inter-coreani e nel miglioramento dei rapporti tra le due Coree, abbiamo adottato misure in modo flessibile”, ha affermato Cho, come citato dal Agenzia di stampa Yonhap.

Secondo i media locali, il ministro degli Esteri ha dovuto compiere una mezza marcia indietro dopo che il diplomatico era stato criticato dal parlamento. “Si dovrebbero registrare importanti passi avanti legati all’incidente della Cheonan”, per poter pensare a una revoca delle sanzioni, ha detto il ministro dell’Unificazione.

Seoul is not considering the possibility of lifting its sanctions imposed on Pyongyang following the March 2010 sinking of South Korean corvette Cheonan, South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said on Thursday.On Wednesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that Seoul was considering the removal of its unilateral anti-Pyongyang sanctions introduced over the incident with the warship. “No detailed review (on lifting the sanctions) has been made. Still, in seeking inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation and amid improving relations between the two Koreas, we have been taking measures in a flexible manner,” Cho said as quoted by the Yonhap news agency. According to the media outlet, the foreign minister had to take his words back after the diplomat had been criticized by the country’s lawmakers.


“There should be relevant measures linked to the Cheonan warship incident, which caused us to impose the sanctions,” the unification minister said when asked in what case Seoul would consider lifting the sanctions. In March 2010, the Cheonan warship sank off South Korea’s west coast. The incident claimed the lives of 46 servicemen, with Seoul blaming the tragedy on North Korea. A South Korean-led international investigation was conducted into the sinking case, which concluded that the corvette was sunk by a torpedo launched from a North Korean submarine. Pyongyang denied its involvement in the case. The South Korean sanctions virtually banned all trade between the north and the south.