The report at MSNBC yesterday made it quite clear that the official S Korean position was that it was highly unlikely that N. Korea was implicated in this. The update today quotes fewer official opinions, but the S Korean government apparently stands by their opionion that N. Korea probably was not involved.

Rescuers search for S. Korea ship's crew

Seoul all but rules out fears that North sunk vessel; hope fades for missing

msnbc.com news services
updated 4:52 a.m. CT, Sat., March. 27, 2010

BAENGNYEONGDO, South Korea - Hopes faded for the rescue of 46 sailors missing a day after after an explosion occurred on a South Korean military ship that sank in one of the country's worst naval disasters.
Seoul, meanwhile, all but ruled out the chance that North Korea was involved in the sinking of its navy vessels near their disputed border.

Initial speculation that Pyongyang might have sunk the ship sparked fears around the world that tensions between South Korea and its hermetic neighbor was about to explode into outright war.

Navy and coast guard vessels, as well as air force planes, were combing the waters near South Korea's Baengnyeong Island where the 1,200-ton Cheonan sank early Saturday in bad weather and rough waves during a routine patrolling mission.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said an explosion tore a hole in the rear of the Cheonan late Friday night, shutting off the engine, wiping out power and taking the ship down a little over three hours later. Officials said they did not have more specific information about where on the ship the explosion occurred.

[end quotes]

There was a separate report yesterday, or possibly a couple of days ago, about a S. Korean ship having fired two "warning shots" in the general direction of an "unidentified ship" in the same general area, but the official stance on that story was that the "unidentified ship" most likely was a flock of birds. Reports seen did not specify an identity for the S. Korean ship, so it's only a vague possibility that it was the same ship that sank.

Agreed with Joe - the possum is a more relevant story pending something verifiable to make the ship sinking anything other than an accident at sea.

John