Four military officers, including three general-grade officers, have been booked for investigation on suspicion that they neglected their duties in connection with March's deadly sinking of a naval ship by North Korea, the defense ministry said Wednesday.
The four are among 25 senior military officers accused in June by state auditors of mishandling the sinking of the Cheonan warship near the Yellow
Sea border with North Korea that left 46 sailors dead.
"It's still unclear whether the four military officers would face indictment," a defense ministry official said. "But we can't rule out the
possibility that they could be punished under the military criminal law, because Defense Minister Kim Tae-young ordered further investigation."
A South Korea-led multinational investigation determined in May that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine sank the 1,200-ton warship.
North Korea has denied involvement.
The South's military has been under public criticism for failing to take appropriate countermeasures to prevent the attack even though it had received intelligence that North Korea might wage a secret attack on South Korean vessels near the sea border.
The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) blamed the military for delaying or covering up information about the sinking after it occurred. Two of the 25 officers accused in the BAI inspection have already stepped down, including Gen. Lee Sang-eui, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.