Former Cheonan Ship Captain Choi Won-il Reveals on Facebook on the 7th
"Fishing Boat Captains Share Fate with Their Ships"
Criticism Over Implication of Extreme Choice
Former Captain Choi: "One of the Surviving Soldiers Was Given a Tranquilizer"
At the National Daejeon National Cemetery's Cheonan Ship 46 Warriors Burial Site, the family of the late Corporal Kang Hyun-gu is tidying the tombstone. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Recently, some netizens have been crossing the line with abusive remarks targeting former Cheonanham Commander Choi Won-il (retired Navy Colonel) and the bereaved families of the Cheonanham fallen soldiers, sparking expected controversy. Among the malicious comments, there are even criticisms seemingly demanding extreme actions, such as "Even a fishing boat captain goes down with the sinking ship," raising concerns.
On the 7th, former Commander Choi posted on his Facebook titled "Sorry, but I will not die," revealing the messages he had received so far.
A netizen poured out a flood of critical messages targeting Choi Won-il, former commander of the Cheonan ship (retired Navy colonel). / Photo by Facebook capture
The messages are criticisms directed at former Commander Choi by some netizens. One netizen said, "I find it stranger that you have not taken an extreme action until now," and added, "Even a fishing boat captain goes down with the sinking ship. You are trash who let over forty young soldiers drown and couldn't even figure out the cause," hurling abusive language.
Another netizen questioned, "A person who failed in vigilance but was rapidly promoted is now forcing lies in this absurd reality," and said, "Think about it logically. If (Cheonanham) was sunk by a torpedo, the person responsible for the failure in vigilance should have been demoted or disciplined, but somehow everyone got rapid promotions and rewards."
They continued, "It's common sense to give such honors and rewards when something is being covered up," and asked, "Isn't this typical behavior of criminals we have seen many times?"
One netizen sparked controversy by labeling the fallen soldiers of the Cheonan ship as "defeated soldiers." / Photo by Internet Community Capture
There were also posts calling the fallen soldiers in the Cheonanham attack "defeated soldiers." One netizen wrote on the internet community 'Clien,' "I don't understand why Cheonanham should receive special treatment," and added, "There are many patriotic spirits who died during training or operations, not just Cheonanham."
They continued, "From my experience in military life similar to real combat, Cheonanham soldiers were just defeated soldiers who failed in vigilance," and said, "Just because many died together, do they deserve more special treatment than hundreds of other patriotic spirits? The attitude of the bereaved families is simply outrageous."
In response, former Commander Choi said, "Are you really trying to provoke? One of the surviving soldiers took tranquilizers today, and active-duty comrades are calling saying they are submitting discharge requests," and lamented, "Don't mess with people who have nothing left to lose. The Blue House remains silent today as well."
Former Captain Choi revealed that he paid a protest visit to the Presidential Commission on Military Death Incident Investigation on the 1st. / Photo by Facebook Capture
Meanwhile, former Commander Choi visited the Presidential Military Accident Investigation Committee in protest on the 1st. On that day, he disclosed his protest visit on Facebook and conveyed three demands to the committee: △ immediate suspension of the investigation △ issuance of an apology statement by the committee △ apology from the Blue House and to the bereaved families and surviving soldiers.
He emphasized, "If there is no action by tomorrow, we will respond strongly."
Earlier, in September last year, the committee received a petition from Shin Sang-chul, former investigator of the Cheonanham Civil-Military Joint Investigation Team, who advocated the 'Cheonanham grounding theory,' and decided to conduct a formal investigation in December of the same year. Former Commander Choi protested this decision, calling it an insult to the bereaved families and fallen soldiers of Cheonanham.
Amid growing controversy, the committee held an emergency meeting on the morning of the 2nd and decided to dismiss the petition for reinvestigation. In a press release that day, the committee stated, "The full committee meeting was attended by all seven members, and the dismissal was unanimously decided," and added, "There is no evidence to consider that the petitioner witnessed the Cheonanham incident or directly heard about it from a witness."
Meanwhile, the Cheonanham Civil-Military Joint Investigation Team officially announced that the Navy patrol ship Cheonanham sank on March 26, 2010, in the waters near Baengnyeongdo while on vigilance duty due to a torpedo attack by a North Korean submarine, resulting in 46 deaths among the 104 crew members.
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