U.N. seeks answers on Korean clash

U.S.-led command calls for joint investigation

South Korean soldiers patrol at Yeonpyeong Island, 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of South Korea's northern west coast, in the Yellow Sea

SEOUL, South Korea -- After blaming North Korea for the weekend naval clash with its southern neighbor, the United Nations Command in Seoul has appealed to Pyongyang to take part in a joint investigation into the battle.

Both Seoul and Pyongyang have blamed each other for starting Saturday's sea battle that left four South Korean sailors dead and unconfirmed estimates of at least 30 North Koreans killed.

While the U.S.-led U.N. Command was seeking cooperation from North Korea in investigating the cause of the battle, the United States has announced it has withdrawn an offer to hold high-level talks with North Korea on its missile program and other topics.

The U.S. State Department formally notified the North Koreans Monday night through the country's diplomatic mission at the United Nations, a senior administration official said.

As the row continues over the weekend clash, Seoul has announced it is considering shelving plans to give for food aid shipments to the North and help launch a mobile phone service. (Full story.)

Commenting on the proposed joint investigation the U.N Command said it wanted to implement strategies that would prevent further naval clashes between the Korean Peninsula nations, Reuters reported.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae reports on South Korea's mourning of sailors killed in a naval battle with North Korea. Play video   RESOURCES IN-DEPTH: Tensions on the Korean Peninsula    MORE STORIES • Kim keen to retain 'Sunshine Policy'  • Sailor recounts bloody naval clash  • China concerned over sea battle  • North-South Korean naval incidents since 1998     CNN.com Asia More news from our Asia edition

Command officials called for North Korea to convene officer-level talks at the border truce village of Panmunjom to discuss the clash.

"We view the North's firing upon and killing ROK (South Korean) sailors as a provocative act, which has increased tensions across the peninsula," Major General James N. Soligan, deputy chief of staff of the U.N. Command said in a statement.

"We want to prevent any further aggression by North Korea," Soligan was quoted as saying.

The statement said the North Korean navy patrol boats which fired on the South Korean vessels had violated the Armistice Agreement which ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Battle 'not to blame'

Official have told CNN the U.S. decision to cancel high level talks with North Korea was made because the North had not responded to an offer made last month by special envoy Jack Pritchard to send a U.S. delegation to North Korea next week.

In that meeting Pritchard said "here's who is coming, here are the dates," a senior U.S. official recounted.

North Korea has since responded with silence.

While a naval clash in the Yellow Sea between North and South Korea over the weekend "spoiled the atmosphere," a senior U.S. official said the main reason the talks offer was rescinded was the lack of any response from the North.

"It was just too close to those dates," this official explained, referring to plans for a U.S. delegation to travel to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang next week.

U.S. President George W. Bush recently described North Korea as being part of an "axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq.

The U.S. meanwhile has rejected as 'spurious' an allegation from North Korea that the weekend clash with the South was staged by the U.S. to strain ties between the neighbors.

The U.S. is siding with its ally the South over the battle, describing it as an "armed provocation," with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday placing blame for the confrontation squarely with the North.

North Korea has said its forces acted in self-defense after the South Korean ships fired first.

Rules of engagement

South Korea has asked for U.S. help to prove its northern neighbor provoked the clash, and its defense minister has proposed changing the rules of engagement for clashes with the North.

The proposed change would allow South Korean forces to fire first -- a contrast to the current regulations introduced under the government of President Kim Dae-jung which require South Korea to broadcast a series of warnings before opening fire during a confrontation with enemy vessels.

But some South Korean officials say this doesn't allow it's military to respond quickly enough.

"The recent incident on the Yellow Sea raised problems in the case of North Korea making a surprise attack and we now see a reason to review the rules," a defense ministry spokesman said on Monday.

According to the spokesman, South Korea's Defense Minister, Kim Dong-Shin, proposed reviewing the rules of engagement in clashes with North Korea to Gen. Leon LaPorte, who commands about 37,000 U.S. forces in South Korea.

The spokesman said LaPorte responded positively, saying he will cooperate closely with the South Koreans in this review.

South Korean forces require the approval from the U.S. commander before changing or implementing key rules governing military affairs under their mutual defense pact, which dates from the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The South says that two North Korean warships accompanying an undisclosed number of fishing vessels crossed the disputed sea border in the Yellow Sea between the two countries on Saturday before firing at the South's navy ships, triggering a 21-minute gun battle.

The sporadic gunfight caused one South Korean vessel to catch fire and sink. A North Korean ship also caught fire and is believed to have been destroyed. (Sailor's account of clash)

Series of incursions

Survivor Lee Hae-young talks to reporters at the military hospital in Sungnam, south of Seoul.

The two Koreas dispute the exact location of the sea border between their countries.

Saturday's clash followed a recent series of incursions by North Korean navy ships into South Korean waters. On Friday, two North Korean patrol boats briefly crossed the border -- the 10th such violation this year. (Timeline of incidents)

In June 1999, several border violations by North Korean ships sparked the first naval clash between the two Koreas since the 1950-53 Korean War.

A North Korean torpedo boat was sunk and two other North Korean vessels seriously damaged in the fierce battle. About 30 North Korean sailors were believed killed.

South and North Korea have been divided since the 1950-53 Korean War and are still technically at war.

-- CNN Seoul Bureau Chief Sohn Jie-Ae contributed to this report