韩国沉没战舰“发现炸药痕迹”

South Korea's defence minister has confirmed that traces of an explosive have been found in the wreckage¹ of a warship² that sank near North Korea.

韩国国防部长证实，3月份在朝鲜附近海域沉没的军舰，在其残骸中发现炸药的痕迹。

The Cheonan sank after an as-yet unexplained blast on 26 March

Kim Tae-young said that RDX - used to make torpedoes⁴（鱼雷） - was detected by investigators⁵.

But he said it was too early to draw conclusions（下结论） about what sank the ship.

The Cheonan went down on 26 March near the disputed inter-Korean maritime⁶ border. Many South Koreans believe North Korea was to blame.

"It is true that RDX, a chemical substance used in making torpedoes, has been detected," Mr Kim told reporters.

"The possibility of a torpedo³ (attack) has increased, but it's too early to say anything."

A spokesman for the investigative team, Rear Adm Moon Byung-ok, said mines used RDX too, so further examination was necessary.

He said the explosive traces were found in the Cheonan's funnel⁷ and in sand collected from the seabed.

The defence minister called on South Koreans to "be patient and wait until the official announcement is made".

Forty-six South Korean sailors were killed when the Cheonan sank. North Korea has denied any responsibility for the incident.

The two countries' navies have clashed around the disputed maritime border in the past. They remain technically⁸ at war, because no peace deal was signed after the 1950-53 Korean War.