North Korea is getting new ships

Last ChristmasEve UN the was docked in Yantai, a Chinese port just across the Yellow Sea from the Korean peninsula. Then on January 2nd the Chinese cargo vessel switched off the transponder that reports its movements and disappeared. It was not seen again until early February, when it was spotted offloading cargo in Nampo, North Korea’s main port. A month later it had a new name, the , and was flying a North Korean flag.Between January and May this year North Korea’s commercial fleet grew by 14 ships, according to the latest report by the panel of experts that is tasked with monitoring the sanctions regime placed on the country. Transferring vessels to North Korea is forbidden under it. Yet since 2020 the hermit kingdom has acquired 52 ships. The sanctions-busting they facilitate is a lifeline for the economically isolated country, in particular by connecting it to its main patron, China.