North Korean ships appear to be loitering and languishing at home ports amid the ongoing COVID-19-related shipping freeze, but at least one vessel was seen traversing the ocean after departing a Chinese port in late December.

According to Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals analyzed by NK Pro, four vessels linked to North Korea’s fleet also broadcast signals between Dec. 20, 2020 and Jan. 5, 2021. AIS signals transmit information such as location, destination and speed to help ships avoid collisions with each other, but it’s also useful for tracking vessels backing North Korean state goals.

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