Two blue arrow:
left -- fire control system
right -- 40 mm gun
They are all hoping that it was just SK navy's snafu. They are all scared what taking on NK for its provocation would entail.
Judging from this reaction, I say Chia Head is laughing out loud, if he really did it. People love to claim that he is just a loon, but he believes he knows how to scare lots of folks outside his country, including some important ones. Apparently it is working.
So who is to say that he is crazy to pick this moment to do this if this is true?
Many loved to believe that it was due to old mine floating around and got 'lucky.' Or munition explosion, hitting a rock, or ship just broke in half due to metal fatigue. Or even friendly fire. Most of them are spewed by pro-NK shills. However, there are people who are supposedly on our side, doing that, too.
About SK's old mines, stories from military are that what they had over there were modified depth charges placed close to the shore to deter landing of NK troops some three or four decades ago. They were wired to the switch on the shore. They were set to detonate by electric charge through wires, and with those wired no longer connected, it is said to be extremely unlikely that they would explode on their own.
There are many people who would rather ignore NK involvement. SK and U.S. political leadership worrying about economic repercussions. It could even crash Wall St. as well as Asia's financial markets. Then there are some elements in the military who are uncomfortable with the possible conclusion that NK submarines or commando crews beat their surveillance system and successfully conducted its operation.
While investigation is still on-going, many outside SK are hoping that this was dumb SK navy shooting their foot, while many inside SK hoping that the finding would be inconclusive.
Sure they can prove that the ship was destroyed by an explosion under the keel, finding the cause of the explosion is quite another thing.
Two blue arrow:
left -- fire control system
right -- 40 mm gun
It might even be that somebody seniors goes up secretly and backchannels from Seoul to Pyongyang and says "Look. We know you did it. Cease and desist. We are not going to war over this one because it will cost you and us dearly. But there can be no guarantees if there is a repeat of this." And then just a cover up from both sides on it. I believe that is how it may be going at this point.
We must not forget the Chinese involvement on the side of NK. The PRC would most certainly become involved as they did before with NK on their border.
Nobody wants to rock the PRC boat today.
The results of all of this will be quite frustrating IMO.