SONWON2

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Sanctioned North Korean tankers defying UN rules

A number of sanctioned North Korean oil tankers, the 'Song Won 2', 'An San 1' (IMO: 7303803), 'Kum Jin Gang 3' (IMO: 8791667) and 'Sin Phyong 9' (IMO: 8916293). have been openly transmitting AIS signals in Chinese waters in July 2025, despite U.N. resolution requiring Beijing to seize and inspect the vessels, as China and Russia were ignoring illicit DPRK activity. The latter three have also frequented an oil pier at Russia’s Vostochny Port, the DPRK tankers’ main destination for fuel runs, in the past. The vessels were underway presumably for fuel pickups. The four ships were under U.N. sanctions. A fifth vessel, the 'Chong Ryong San', was not subject to U.N. sanctions, but the now-disbanded U.N. Panel of Experts previously reported on the tanker illegally shuttling petroleum products to North Korea’s main port of Nampho and conducting illicit ship-to-ship transfers. The vessel, as it is not registered with the International Maritime Organization and thus lacks an IMO number.