Warning and Surveillance Activities for Illegal Ship-to-Ship Transfers

North Korea is presumed to be evading sanctions by conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers on the high seas. Ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels are forbidden under the terms of United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs).

The MOD/JSDF gathers information on vessels suspected of violating UNSCRs as part of regular warning and surveillance activities. Between 2018 and the end of March 2020, JSDF patrol aircrafts and vessels observed 24 cases in which North Korean-flagged tankers and foreign-flagged vessels were lying alongside each other on the high seas of the East China Sea. As a result of a comprehensive judgement across the Government, it is strongly suspected that the vessels concerned were engaging in illegal ship-to-ship transfers. This information was reported to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea and shared with relevant countries.

In response to illicit maritime activities prohibited by UNSCRs including illegal ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean vessels, the U.S. and other concerned countries conduct aerial surveillance activities. In 2020, Australia conducted aerial surveillance activities from late September to late October, which was Australia’s seventh surveillance by air since 2018. Starting in early October, the Royal Canadian Navy Frigate HMCS Winnipeg conducted maritime surveillance activities for the fourth time since 2018. In addition, Canada has carried out its fifth aerial surveillance activity since 2018 from early November through early December. New Zealand has also conducted aerial surveillance from late October through late November, which is their third aerial surveillance since 2018. (as of October 26th, 2020)

Japan welcomes these activities from the viewpoint of ensuring effective implementation of the relevant UNSCRs while maintaining the solidarity of the international community for the realization of North Korea’s dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has also been conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected to be in violation of the UNSCRs, and Japan will work closely with related countries.