The Korean edition of Voice of America (VOA) disclosed on May 6 that North Korea has recently bought its sixth ship from China this year.
Quoting the International Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) of the International Maritime Organization, VOA said the originally Chinese cargo ship “Shin Hongxiang 77” was re-registered as “Taeryeong 3” on Apr. 1 and is now sailing under the flag of North Korea.
Built in 2007, the carrier is still relatively new. It is 97 meters long, 16 meters wide and can hold up to 2,985 tons of cargo.
More ship purchases in the first months of 2023 than in the whole of last year
GISIS data also points towards five more additions to the North Korean fleet this year: the “Hyangsan” in January, the “Taejabong” and the “Geumgang 1” in February, and the “Hwangryongsan” and the “Tok Song” in March. All of the ships apparently belonged to Chinese companies before they were re-registered as North Korean vessels.
According to VOA, North Korea bought six ships in all of last year. The regime’s purchases of used vessels thus appear to be increasing rapidly.
North Korea’s purchases defy UN sanctions
In 2016, the United Nations (UN) Security Council adopted Resolution 2321. The expanded arms and trade embargo prohibits all remaining 192 UN member states from “supplying, selling, or transferring” vessels to the DPRK.
However, the UN and intelligence agencies such as the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) suspect that North Korea is circumventing the embargo. They allege that the DPRK acquires used vessels from China, South Korea and Taiwan through front companies to trade sanctioned cargo in its territorial waters.
Edited by Robert Lauler.
