7.12.06

North Korean Kang Nam 5 stuck in Hong Kong

Equipment insufficient
Hong Kong officials detained the Kang Nam 5, a North Korean cargo ship, after it arrived empty on Oct. 25 from the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung. Inspectors said the ship's lifesaving, communications and emergency lighting equipment were outdated or insufficient. The vessel's owner apparently had financial difficulties and couldn't fix the ship. here

20.11.06

France searches North Korean Ship Am Nok Gang

Mayotte, Indian Ocean
French customs officers have searched a North Korean ship in the small Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte. here The vessel, with 45 North Korean crew members, was searched "from bow to stern and top to bottom," but no weapons, drugs or other significant contraband have been found so far, but a slight excess of alcohol and cigarettes. here The ship was carrying cement and came from Singapore. Permission was sought to dock in the port of Longoni on November 11. here

14.11.06

MV Omranili searched in Mumbai

MV Omranili voyage

The Coast Guard, the Bombay Port Trust, the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Customs have formed separate teams to inspect the freighter and find out if it is carrying any arms or ammunition.

13.11.06

North Korean freighter, MV-Omranili, detained

Mumbai Docks
A North Korean freighter, MV-Omranili, was spotted in the Indian waters on October 29. The Coast Guard escorted the freighter to the Bombay docks. When questioned, the crew members told the Coast Guard they were on their way to Bandar Abbas in Iran and strayed into the Indian waters as the engine had developed a snag. here South Korea has turned down an American request for help intercepting North Korean ships suspected of carrying supplies for the Communist regime’s programs to build weapons of mass destruction. South Korea decided not to become an official member of the initiative and instead would remain content with its status as an observer “because of our special situation.” here

31.10.06

Proliferation Security Initiative Ship Boarding Agreement

North Korean ship on waterfront of Chinese border city of Dandong
Proliferation Security Initiative Ship Boarding Agreement with Marshall Islands here
Panama
Liberia
Cyprus

28.10.06

North Korean ship Ponghwasan departs Hong Kong

Song Min-soon
A North Korean ship, named Ponghwasan, left Nampo in North Korea and has been sailing southward after fueling up at an outer port of Hong Kong. The United States and Japan suspect it of carrying military equipment, Song Min-soon, the chief South Korean presidential secretary for security affairs, said. here

27.10.06

North Korean Kang Nam V also detained by Hong Kong

Security Advisor to JWC
HONG KONG Hong Kong has detained a North Korean cargo ship — the second in less than a week — because the vessel failed a safety inspection. The Kang Nam V arrived empty on Wednesday from the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung. The ship had planned to carry scrap metal back to Taiwan.here
NORTH Korea could shortly be designated a war risk area. here The Joint War Committee, whose membership is drawn from 16 London market underwriters, focuses on hull war risk. Its main function is the maintenance and publication of its list of excluded zones. Operators of ships headed for countries that are on this list can expect to pay more for their insurance.here

26.10.06

Kang Nam I and the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)

USS Gary
The Kang Nam I is currently at anchor in the western district of Hong Kong Port. This ship departed Shanghai, China, on August 20, called at Indonesia, entered the Shanghai port, and then arrived in Hong Kong on October 14.The U.S. is not providing South Korea, which is acting passively on the PSI, information pertaining to the ships that sail around the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia. here Since Hong Kong is a special administrative territory of the People’s Republic of China, the inspection suggests likelihood of further active participation of Beijing in sanctions against North Korea. here

25.10.06

USS Gary dispatched to trail North Korean ship

Kang Nam I A North Korean vessel suspected of carrying military equipment was searched and seized by authorities in Hong Kong, but no banned items were uncovered. The 2,035 t Kang Nam I is a cargo carrier, but it arrived in Hong Kong with an empty load. The U.S. was preparing for a confrontation and dispatched the guided-missile frigate U.S.S. Gary to the scene. U.S. and Japan had been trailing the vessel, which left Nampo port in South Pyongan Province and was passing southward through the South China Sea. here

24.10.06

KANG NAM-1, North Korean Freighter Detained

Hong Kong port
A North Korean ship that planned to deliver scrap metal to Taiwan was detained in Hong Kong for safety violations. The ship's detention was unrelated to recent U.N. sanctions on North Korea that call for searches of vessels sailing to and from the communist country, said Daisy Lo, spokeswoman for Hong Kong's Marine Department. here KANG NAM-1 is owned by Korea Kumrung Trading Co Ltd registered in Korea,Democratic People's Republic, built 1989, 702 tons, General cargo/multipurpose ship. here

23.10.06

AUSTRALIA'S navy to help intercept cargo ships

Secretary of State Rice
AUSTRALIA'S navy is ready to help intercept and inspect cargo ships travelling to and from North Korea as part of United Nations sanctions imposed over Pyongyang's nuclear test, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said today. here

22.10.06

Japan may patrol straits for North Korean freighters

Destroyers and P-3C patrol aircraft to the Tsushima Strait
Japan plans to inspect cargo to and from North Korea in two sea-lanes close to its territory, in line with UN Security Council sanctions imposed after Pyongyang's nuclear test.
The government is considering deploying several destroyers and P-3C patrol aircraft to the Tsushima Strait near sea borders with South Korea and to waters close to the southernmost islets of Okinawa. here Japan's exports to and imports from North Korea reached about 6.9 billion yen and 14.5 billion yen, respectively. Between January and September, North Korean ships made 578 port calls at Japanese ports. here The Tsushima Strait lies between South Korea and Japan's western coast. Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force would provide information to the United States and other foreign forces deployed in the area if it spots a suspicious ship. here

21.10.06

Navy tracking North Korea freighter

The Military Sealift Command oiler refuels guided missile destroyer, left, and aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Oct. 18 in the Western Pacific Ocean.The Navy is tracking a North Korean cargo ship that left port and was headed south from the Korean Peninsula, but does not know what the ship is carrying or its destination.The carrier Kitty Hawk left Yokosuka, Japan, on Tuesday with a heavy phalanx of escorts and Carrier Air Wing 5 as regional tensions remain high after North Korea’s Oct. 9 underground detonation of a nuclear device and news it may test another. Kitty Hawk is the Navy’s only forward-deployed carrier and follows a different underway schedule than U.S.-based aircraft carriers. here here here

20.10.06

North Korean Ships Dropping Cambodian Flag

North Korean freighter Sosan
Dozens of North Korean ships used to carry the Cambodian flag.
North Korea adroitly uses flags of convenience to camouflage the movement of its cargo vessels as they engage in tasks that sometimes violate international laws.
Times