Int`l Criminal Court to release data on NK attack

The International Criminal Court said Thursday that it will release data being used to decide whether North Korea’s attack on Yeonpyeong Island was a war crime.

“We will increase the transparency of the investigation by releasing the information we ascertained in probing the possibility that North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was a war crime,” prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo (photo) told a briefing on the court`s activities to 30 member countries including South Korea.

“A preliminary analysis team of five staff members collected legal evidence and are analyzing North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.”

On the preliminary study of the North’s shelling and sinking of the South Korean naval vessel Cheonan, he said, “We are well aware of the concerns over lack of transparency in the preliminary study. We will carefully analyze the evidence related to the investigation and release necessary information immediately.”

“The investigation into the Yeonpyeong case began last week and there is no time limit on the investigation.”

On which sites will be investigated, Moreno-Ocampo said, “Aside from requesting the relevant country for data in collecting evidence, we could visit the site for investigation as well. Since such probes were useful before, we will visit the site for the investigation if necessary while conducting the preliminary study.”

higgledy@donga.com