''Jie Shun'' is a
North Korean cargo vessel built in 1986. She flies the flag of
Cambodia and lists
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...
as her homeport.
Condition
According to a United Nations investigation, the frame of ''Jie Shun'' was badly
corroded
Corroded is a heavy metal band from Ånge, Sweden. The band is best known for their song ''Time And Again'', which was the theme song for the Swedish 2009 ''Survivor'' television series on TV4. The band's second album ''Exit to Transfer'', rele ...
when she was seized in 2016, and the
desalination
Desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance, as in Soil salinity control, soil desalination, which is an issue f ...
system was not functioning.
Registration
''Jie Shun'' was registered in
Cambodia, which served as a
flag of convenience, and routinely disabled her
transponder, in order to avoid drawing attention.
In 2014, the vessel was reportedly owned by company owned by Chinese nationals Sun Sidong, also the majority shareholder of Dandong Dongyuan Industrial.
Sanctions violations
''Jie Shun'' left
Haeju, North Korea on July 23, 2016, with a crew of twenty-three, including a
political commissar.
In August 2016, ''Jie Shun'' was detained by
Egyptian authorities in Egyptian waters before transiting the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, acting on information provided by the
United States intelligence community. ''Jie Shun'' was found to be transporting
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
and 30,000
RPG-7
rocket-propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) is a shoulder-fired missile weapon that launches rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, and are frequently used as anti-tank weapons. These warheads are a ...
s, in violation of
United Nations sanctions.
A UN investigation subsequently found that North Korea had been attempting to traffic prohibited military hardware to the
Egyptian Armed Forces.
The value of the shipment was estimated at US$23 million.
References
{{reflist, refs=
[{{cite news, title=Chinese freighter with North Korean arms seized in Egypt, first=Erofey, last=Schkvarkin, url=http://maritimebulletin.net/2017/10/02/chinese-freighter-with-north-korean-arms-seized-in-egypt/, newspaper=Maritime Bulletin, date=October 2, 2017, accessdate=November 22, 2017, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002113127/http://maritimebulletin.net/2017/10/02/chinese-freighter-with-north-korean-arms-seized-in-egypt/, archivedate=2017-10-02, url-status=live]
[{{cite news , title=A North Korean ship was seized off Egypt with a huge cache of weapons destined for a surprising buyer , first=Joby , last=Warrick , url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-north-korean-ship-was-seized-off-egypt-with-a-huge-cache-of-weapons-destined-for-a-surprising-buyer/2017/10/01/d9a4e06e-a46d-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14_story.html?tid=pm_pop_b , newspaper= Washington Post , location=USA , date=October 1, 2017 , accessdate=November 23, 2017 , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128053413/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-north-korean-ship-was-seized-off-egypt-with-a-huge-cache-of-weapons-destined-for-a-surprising-buyer/2017/10/01/d9a4e06e-a46d-11e7-b14f-f41773cd5a14_story.html , archivedate=2017-11-28 , url-status=live ]
Merchant ships of North Korea
1986 ships