Two UN sanctioned oil tankers recently re-appeared on international tracking systems, the NK Pro ship tracker shows, marking the first time members of the DPRK’s oil fleet have broadcasted their location in months.

Once a common sight at oil terminals in eastern China and Russia, the DPRK’s oil transport fleet mostly disappeared from international tracking systems in mid-2017.

Vessels over 300 tons are required to broadcast their locations at all times – unless doing so endangers the life of the crew – but sporadic location signaling is a hallmark of North Korea’s commercial fleet.[/p