Two North Korean ships capable of handling bulk cargos arrived at a Chinese port earlier this week, continuing the apparent uptick in visits to the facility.

But NK Pro analysis indicates that, overall, DPRK ships were not more active in the first half of 2019 than they were last year.

Previous NK Pro reports have highlighted the two North Korean vessels’ visits to the Chinese port of Longkou, with satellite imagery showing one apparently moving between facilities capable of handling sanctioned materials.

Both the Kwang Myong and the Jin Hung 8 arrived at the Chinese