Illicit ship-to-ship transfer of goods by North Korea-related vessels
North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles pose grave and imminent threats to Japan’s security, and it is no exaggeration to say that the security environment surrounding Japan is the most severe in the postwar era. The international community must unite to increase pressure on North Korea to the maximum extent, by means such as through the enforcement of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2397 adopted in December 2017, to urge it to change the direction of its policies.
UN Security Council Resolution No. 2375, adopted in September 2017, prohibits UN member states from facilitating or engaging in the transshipment of goods at sea to or from North Korean-flagged vessels (“ship-to-ship transfer”).
Toward the common goal of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Japan needs to work closely with the international community, including countries such as the United States, the Republic of Korea, China, and Russia, to ensure the effectiveness of UN Security Council resolutions, including the one for ship-to-ship transfers.
| January 12, 2020 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “CHON MA SAN” and a vessel of unknown registry |
| December 16 and 17, 2019 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “NAM SAN 8” and a small vessel of unknown registry |
| November 13, 2019 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “MU BONG 1” and a vessel of unknown registry |
| May 13, 2019 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “AN SAN 1” (IMO No. 7303803) and a small vessel of unknown registry |
| March 20, 2019 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “YU SON” and a small vessel of unknown registry |
| July 31, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “NAM SAN 8” and a vessel of unknown registry |
| June 29, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “AN SAN 1” and a vessel of unknown registry |
| June 21 and 22, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “YU PHYONG 5” and a small vessel of unknown registry |
| May 24, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea between the North Korean-flagged tanker “SAM JONG 2” and “MYONG RYU 1” |
| May 19, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea by North Korean-flagged tanker “JI SONG 6” and a small vessel of unknown registry |
| February 24, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea between the North Korean-flagged tanker “Chon Ma San” and the Maldivian-flagged tanker “Xin Yuan 18” |
| February 16, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea between the North Korean-flagged tanker “Yu Jong 2” and “Min Ning De You 078” |
| February 13, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea between the North Korean-flagged tanker “Rye Song Gang 1” and the Belizean-flagged tanker “Wan Heng 11” |
| January 20, 2018 |
Suspected ship-to-ship transfer of goods at sea between the North Korean-flagged tanker “Rye Song Gang 1” and the Dominican-flagged tanker “Yuk Tung” |
As quite a few ship-to-ship transfer cases have been reported up till now, the MOD/SDF made a video that succinctly summarizes their past activities to promote the understanding of the public and the people of overseas countries and to facilitate Japan’s cooperation with the international community in solving the issues surrounding North Korea
