At least 10 North Korea-linked ships were active in the first half of February, marking a significant resurgence in the country’s shipping activity as several vessels returned to routes that went untouched for months.

Ever since North Korea instituted a second COVID-19-related trade lockdown in Aug. 2020, its ships have largely gone idle and most of the country’s maritime activity has been limited to illegal coal and fuel smuggling. However, February data suggests an uptick in vessel movement and the possibility that North Korea loosened some of its COVID-19 protective measures to boost otherwise-plummeted trade.[/p