S.Korean warship sinking reminds of DPRK threats: Carter

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who stays here for a three-day visit, said on Friday that the 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship Cheonan reminds of threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) against alliance between South Korea and the United States.

During his introductory remarks before talks with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo, Carter said that he is anticipating his scheduled visit to the memorial site for the sunken battleship later in the day, noting that it is a place that reminds him of the DPRK's threats to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan sank in waters near the western sea border by what Seoul claimed was a torpedo attack by the DPRK, a charge repeatedly denied by Pyongyang. The incident killed 46 soldiers.

Carter is scheduled to visit the wreckage of the battleship that is on display in Pyongtaek, around 50 km south of Seoul, later in the day.

The U.S. defense chief arrived Thursday in South Korea, the second leg of his first Asian tour since he took office in February. Before coming to Seoul, he made a three-day visit to Japan, one of the two major U.S. allies in Asia along with South Korea.

After the talks with Han, Carter will hold a joint press conference with the South Korean defense minister before moving to the Cheonan memorial site. It would be the first time that a Pentagon chief visits the memorial site. Endi