A 1,200-ton South Korean Navy vessel, the Cheonan, sank off the country’s west coast near the maritime border with North Korea on March 26, 2010, killing 46 of the 104 sailors on board. The remaining 58 crew members were rescued. The ship broke in two following a powerful explosion in its stern and sank rapidly, sending shockwaves through the military and public. A government probe later concluded that a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine caused the sinking, though Pyongyang denied responsibility. The incident, one of the deadliest peacetime naval disasters, heightened security concerns and prompted a review of naval defenses.
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