S. Korea Vows Retaliation for Ship Sinking by North

South Korea vowed to take "firm action" after a multinational inquiry concluded that a North Korean submarine was responsible for sinking one of its warships in March, killing 46 sailors. Evidence overwhelmingly proves that North Korea is responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan, casuing the military's largest loss of life since the Korean War, according to investigators. The White House promised that South Korea would be defended against any further acts of aggression, CNN reports.

"Such unacceptable behavior only deepens North Korea's isolation," the White House said in a statement, warning that the armistice agreement had been violated. North Korea continues to deny involvement in the warship's sinking. Any attempt at retaliation will trigger war, officials have vowed. "The all-out war to be undertaken by us will be a sacred war involving the whole nation, all the people and the whole state," a spokesman for North Korea's Defense Commission told state media.
(More South Korea stories.)