President Lee: I won`t forget Cheonan

President Lee Myung-bak says he will not forget the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel Cheonan by North Korea.

"I feel like it happened only two days ago, but one year has already passed,” he said Saturday, “I won`t forget it even after a long time.”

President Lee was speaking at a memorial service for the first anniversary of the sinking at Daejeon National Cemetery, and consoled the families of the 46 seamen who were killed in the attack.

He also met Yoon Cheong-ja, the mother of the late Petty Officer Min Pyeong-ki who donated 100 million won (90,000 U.S. dollars) to national defense. "With the money you donated when you visited the presidential office the last time, the military bought weapons (18 K-6 machine guns),” the president said. “All family members apparently had deep regret and anguish, but nevertheless you gave (us) courage,” in expressing gratitude.

Yoon said, “I want (South Korea) to avenge my son’s death,” to which President Lee said, “It`s all our fault. These people (the 46 victims) were innocent but we failed to protect them,” adding, “We will protect them without fail from now on.”

President Lee also told Han Sang-ki, the son of the late naval diver Han Joo-ho who died while searching for survivors, “On the day of the rescue operation, it was so cold that people said (rescue operations) would be impossible, but your father acted to save his younger colleagues,” adding, “He was truly a hero.”

A ceremony on dedicating a memorial tower for the 46 victims was also held Sunday at a beach in Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. More than 300 people including 114 bereaved families and military officials attended, including the former captain of the Cheonan, Lt. Colonel Choi Won-il.

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