A manager from the Mu Du Bong Shipping Company issued a strongly worded response on Friday to claims the Mu du Bong, the vessel currently held in Mexico, is connected to sanctioned shipping company, Ocean Maritime Management (OMM).

The response published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), took aim at recent comments from Hugh Griffiths, the head of the UN Panel of Experts (PoE), before taking issue with claims the vessel is controlled by OMM.

“A man who claimed to be a coordinator of experts group of the Committee instructed the internment of the ship upon the authorization of