A cargo ship that recently made a rare voyage directly from Busan to Nampho was purchased by a newly registered company and reflagged in the months before, an investigation by NK Pro and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) found, evidence that one expert said points to the vessel’s transfer or sale to North Korea in violation of international sanctions.

Maritime specialists told NK Pro that the case raises concerns about the DPRK’s ability to leverage well-known procurement networks to illegally acquire vessels — even those that first pass through South Korean ports.

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