The ''Kang Nam 1'' is a 2,000
ton North Korean cargo ship.
It is one of a series of five vessels, owned by the
North Korean government, named ''Kang Nam 1'' through ''Kang Nam 5''.
According to South Korean media reports, the ''Kang Nam 1'' itself was probably built in Germany in the late 1980s. It then passed through a series of owners to a South Korean maritime firm, which in turn sold it to North Korea. In the summer of 2009, the ship left North Korean waters and entered international waters, probably carrying military equipment bound for
Burma while being monitored by the U.S. Navy, before it turned back and headed for North Korea.
June/July 2009 events
The ''Kang Nam 1'' came to international attention 17 June 2009, after leaving port in
Nampo
Nampo (North Korean official spelling: Nampho; ), also spelled Namp'o, is the second largest city by population and an important seaport in North Korea, which lies on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river's mouth. ...
,
North Korea and entered
International waters. It began travelling South, along the Chinese coastline. A
South Korean intelligence report fed speculation that the ship was destined for
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
(Burma) via
Singapore with a cargo of weapons banned by the
United Nations Security Council, which permits North Korean ships to be searched if suspected of carrying illegal cargo under
Resolution 1874. Monitoring by the
U.S. Navy began almost immediately, and the began pursuit at some point after that.
North Korea warned that forced inspection of the ship would be considered an "act of war". Singapore responded that it would "act appropriately" if the ship were to dock at its port.
denied that the ''Kang Nam 1'' was coming to dock there,
but mentioned that a "rice-bearing" North Korean ship was due to dock at the end of the week.
The crisis took an unusual (and literal) turn when, without explanation, sometime during 28–29 June, the ''Kang Nam 1'' reversed its course.
While the ship traveled back toward North Korea, several regional news agencies published more information about it and its possible mission. South Korean intelligence sources reported that the freighter was likely carrying North Korean-manufactured Soviet-era small arms such as
AK-47 rifles and
RPG-7 anti-tank launchers.
An unnamed South Korean government source told the
Yonhap News Agency that payment for the weapons from Myanmar's government were to take place via an unnamed bank in
Malaysia, but had probably been stopped after a U.S. envoy visited Malaysia on 6 July to discuss the situation.
Myanmar denied involvement with the ship or its cargo,
and Malaysia insisted that it would not be involved in "money laundering" and would cooperate if provided any information on the alleged scheme.
The ''Kang Nam 1'' eventually returned to its port of origin in North Korea, sometime between 6 and 8 July,
attention on it largely displaced when North Korea
fired seven test missiles during its return voyage.
See also
*
List of North Korean merchant ships
This is an incomplete list of 123 North Korean merchant ships with a gross tonnage of approximately 420,000 gt.
In February 2015, press reports indicated that Ocean Maritime Management Company, which controls North Korean merchant shipping, has ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Merchant ships of North Korea