SEOUL – Sugar and language barriers are seriously hampering the ongoing search for more North Korea-bound weapons on a seized cargo ship in Panama, local daily La Prensa said this weekend.

Although the 35-member crew of the seized Chong Chon Gang were reportedly in good health following an international Red Cross inspection, a lack of Korean-language speakers has made interviewing the crew almost impossible.

“The prosecution has had difficulty making inquiries statements to the 35 crew members detained since none of them speak Spanish, few understand English, and the Public Ministry has no Korean language translators,” La Prensaquoted Panamanian