Security officials in Kimchaek recently inspected ships in the city’s harbor after placing a 72-hour departure ban on them in the early morning of Dec. 1, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Wednesday that in the early hours of Dec. 1, the Kimchaek branch of the Ministry of State Security “slapped a temporary, 72-hour departure ban on all vessels in Kimchaek harbor, including fishing boats and vessels attached to government and enterprise-affiliated side operations, and told them prepare for inspections after [the authorities] lost communication with a fishing boat that went to sea on Nov. 29.”
Accordingly, all vessels turned in their departure certificates to the city branch of the Ministry of State Security or the ministry’s harbor division and underwent inspections by security officials while docked.
Kimchaek security officials inspected not only the boats but all crew members as well, telling boat crews to bring their mobile phones registered under their names.
“The ministry’s municipal branch believes it’s possible the incommunicado fishing boat didn’t meet with an accident but fled to South Korea or Japan,” the source said. “So, they told crews to bring their mobile phones to see if anyone was in contact with the boat crew that disappeared and to investigate those who were.”
However, members of other boat crews believe it unlikely that the missing boat defected.
“The eight people on the incommunicado boat weren’t all people who would run away,” some claimed. “They didn’t know each other for long. Four were regulars, and four were new, so they clearly met with an accident.”
In fact, some boat crews condemned the behavior of the security officials. “Rashly suspecting boats of fleeing if they lose communication is causing discontent,” some of them said, adding: “They’ve banned all boats from leaving the harbor and stopped us from working, even though they know nothing for certain.”
The source further reported that “nothing has been heard from the incommunicado boat for some time. The crew’s families are anxiously awaiting their safe return, coming to the pier daily to weep and wail.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
