美韓發表調查報告

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

ことし３月、朝鮮半島沖で沈没した韓国の哨戒艦をめぐって、韓国やアメリカの合同調査団は、哨戒艦は近くを航行する潜水艦の魚雷による攻撃で沈没したとして、２０日に発表する調査報告の中で、事実上北朝鮮が関与したと結論づけることが、ＮＨＫの取材で明らかになりました。

これは韓国政府の複数の筋が明らかにしたもので、韓国の哨戒艦が沈没した原因を調査している韓国やアメリカの合同調査団は、哨戒艦が沈没した際に国籍不明の潜水艦が近い海域を航行していたことを確認したということです。合同調査団は、これまで哨戒艦から検出された火薬やアルミニウムの金属片などを調査した結果、魚雷による攻撃だったと断定していますが、この魚雷は近くを航行していた潜水艦から発射されたものとみています。さらにこの潜水艦は、魚雷を発射する前、北朝鮮側の海域を航行していたことから、北朝鮮に所属している可能性が高く、合同調査団は２０日に発表される報告書で、沈没の原因は、事実上北朝鮮の潜水艦による魚雷の攻撃によるものと結論づける見通しです。

In a investigation report released on the 20th done by the South Korea and the US combination investigation committee that dealt with the sinking of a South Korean patrol warship in the the Korean Peninsula offing in March this year, it was able to conclude that the warship sank because of an attack by the torpedo from a submarine which sailed in the vicinity of this patrol warship, a conclusion that in fact North Korea had taken part was obvious, according to materials obtained by NHK.
It was now clarified that on the basis of some logical reasoning, the South Korea and the US combination investigation committee responsible for investigating the cause of the sinking of the patrol warship had confirmed that an unknown nationality submarine had been sailing in a near sea region when the patrol warship sank. The combination investigation committee was concluding that it was an attack by the torpedo, based on the result of investigation done so far on the gunpowder and the aluminum metal pieces that had been detected from the patrol warship, and this torpedo was thought to have been launched by a submarine that sailed in the vicinity. In addition, the possibility that this submarine belonged to North Korea was high because it had sailed in the sea on the North Korea side before it launched a torpedo. It was expected that in this combination investigation committee report announced on the 20th that dealt with the cause of the sinking, it was able to conclude that it was the attack by the torpedo from the submarine of North Korea.

I think this report is trustworthy. I am wondering why the North Korean did this and what political mileage they wanted to gain.