North Korean ship linked to sanctions evasion makes rare visit to Russian port



Analysis North Korean ship linked to sanctions evasion makes rare visit to Russian port Kum Ya offloaded cargo during first visit to Russia by DPRK vessel in three years, a sign of strengthening trade ties Anton Sokolin July 24, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON North Korean ship near the city of Wonsan, Oct. 2016 \| Image: NK Pro A North Korean vessel known for violating international sanctions recently made a rare cargo delivery to a seaport in the Russian Far East, a joint investigation by NK Pro and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has found. Vessel tracking data indicates that the DPRK-flagged 6,843-ton Kum Ya (IMO 9004073) arrived at Nakhodka Harbor east of Vladivostok on May 20 and berthed in the port from June 27 until July 13, ending an almost three-year spell of no visits by North Korean vessels to Russia. “This voyage is unusual and appears to be one of the first open visits Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01In 2024, Kim Jong Un swaggered on the global stage like never before 02Military dominates Kim Jong Un’s attention in his busiest year in nearly decade 03How Trump’s return could transform North Korea’s quiet ties with Thailand 04How Assad’s downfall could expose secrets of North Korea-Syria military ties 05All the companies that participated in the Pyongyang Autumn Trade Fair 2024 06No Chinese firms joined North Korea’s latest trade fair dominated by Russia 07What defectors’ exam scores reveal about the quality of North Korean health care 08North Korean Il-76 cargo planes make rare flights to northeast coast

Analysis

North Korean ship linked to sanctions evasion makes rare visit to Russian port

Kum Ya offloaded cargo during first visit to Russia by DPRK vessel in three years, a sign of strengthening trade ties

Anton Sokolin July 24, 2023

North Korean ship linked to sanctions evasion makes rare visit to Russian port

North Korean ship near the city of Wonsan, Oct. 2016 | Image: NK Pro

A North Korean vessel known for violating international sanctions recently made a rare cargo delivery to a seaport in the Russian Far East, a joint investigation by NK Pro and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) has found.

Vessel tracking data indicates that the DPRK-flagged 6,843-ton Kum Ya (IMO 9004073) arrived at Nakhodka Harbor east of Vladivostok on May 20 and berthed in the port from June 27 until July 13, ending an almost three-year spell of no visits by North Korean vessels to Russia.

“This voyage is unusual and appears to be one of the first open visits

01In 2024, Kim Jong Un swaggered on the global stage like never before
02Military dominates Kim Jong Un’s attention in his busiest year in nearly decade
03How Trump’s return could transform North Korea’s quiet ties with Thailand
04How Assad’s downfall could expose secrets of North Korea-Syria military ties
05All the companies that participated in the Pyongyang Autumn Trade Fair 2024
06No Chinese firms joined North Korea’s latest trade fair dominated by Russia
07What defectors’ exam scores reveal about the quality of North Korean health care
08North Korean Il-76 cargo planes make rare flights to northeast coast

North Korean ship linked to sanctions evasion makes rare visit to Russian port

LATEST ANALYSIS

About the Author

Anton Sokolin