The first North Korean ship christened in five years made what appeared to be its maiden voyage in May, sailing between Chinese ports before returning to the main DPRK port city of Nampho.

The Jang Su San became the third known vessel to originate from the DPRK’s Ryongnam Shipyard in December and is now operational after receiving an International Maritime Organization (IMO) number, a requirement for most merchant ships.

The vessel sails under the IMO number 996649, registered as a general cargo ship with a gross tonnage of 7,530 — much less than the 12,000-ton weight the