The commander of U.S. Forces in Korea, General Walter Sharp, has vowed to respond firmly and resolutely to the “Cheonan” incident in defense of South Korea.

Sharp said during a U.S. Memorial Day address in Seoul that the United States supports South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s move to take the attack on the Cheonan naval vessel to the U.N. Security Council.

He said that efforts must continue with other nations in the United Nations Command (UNC) to deter provocations by North Korea.

Sharp added that the Cheonan incident is an unprecedented attack by the North and that the UNC Military Armistice Commission is investigating whether North Korea’s sinking of the ship violates the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.