U.S. Moves to Designate Six Ships in UN Bid to Expose North Korea Sanctions Evasion

The United States announced plans to nominate multiple vessels for designation over violations of UN sanctions against North Korea, following revelations of extensive maritime sanctions evasion detailed in a new Open Source Centre (OSC) report.

Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing in New York on May 7, Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Acting U.S. Representative, highlighted the systematic violations of UN sanctions through illicit shipments of coal and iron ore from North Korea.

The OSC investigation identified six vessels – ARMANI, CARTIER, CASIO, SOPHIA, YI LI 1, and AN YU – involved in sanctions evasion activities. These vessels reportedly conducted at least 18 voyages, with 17 ending in Chinese ports including Dalian, Jingtang, Yantai, Gaogang, and Binhai.

The ships employed sophisticated evasion techniques, including disabling AIS transmissions and broadcasting false locations to appear in Russian ports while actually loading cargo in North Korea. The combined shipments could be worth over $33 million, potentially funding North Korea’s weapons programs.

The announcement comes one year after Russia, with China’s tacit support, vetoed the mandate renewal of the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts, which had provided crucial oversight of sanctions implementation. Despite this setback, Ambassador Shea stated that the United States stands ready to work with the Security Council to reinstate the Panel of Experts.

The investigation also revealed that North Korea has transferred over 24,000 containers of munitions and more than 100 ballistic missiles to Russia for use in Ukraine since September 2023, violating multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

“Colleagues, this Council needs to address these egregious violations of Security Council resolutions despite Russia’s and China’s efforts to obstruct the Council from updating the 1718 Sanctions List,” said Ambassador Shea.

The Ambassador urged all UN member states to fulfill their obligations under Resolution 2397, which requires the seizure, inspection, and impoundment of vessels believed to be involved in prohibited activities. The U.S. also called for flag registries to de-flag vessels involved in sanctions evasion, regardless of their formal designation status.

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