The South China Morning Post (via Korean-language Yonhap) is reporting that a North Korean ship suspected of being laded with military equipment was being detained in Hong Kong after being searched by Hong Kong authorities.
This would be the first such search since the UNSC slapped sanctions on Pyongyang.
The freighter entered Hong Kong harbor on Sunday night and was searched the following morning, after which Hong Kong decided to keep the ship around. The ship left Shanghai on Oct. 14 and stopped by Indonesia before heading back to Shanghai and on again to Hong Kong.
The ship was empty when it entered the harbor, although it was scheduled to take on scrap.
Hong Kong port authorities found 25 violations on board the ship, 12 of which related to safety regulations.
This might all be routine, however, as the head of the port authority said the ship in question was the ninth North Korean vessel searched this year and the sixth detained.
Meanwhile, Chinese media report that two ethnic Koreans (i.e., joseonjok) from China were busted in a Hotel in Beijing last month for trying to sell a reactor control rod containing uranium 235. After obtaining the rod in Nov. 2004 (from whom, it isn’t said), they traveled to Nepal, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Dandong and Beijing trying to sell it. When they were busted by undercover cops, they were asking 3 million U.S. dollars.
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I think we’ll need some more details, as the sum of reporting so far doesn’t add up exactly.
Naver reports fuel rods with U-235, which for North Korean redactors (GWR) means 0.7 percent.
The Chosun Ilbo reports “enriched uranium,” which could mean the U-235 found in LWR fuel rods (2-4 percent), or “slightly enriched uranium,” although it doesn’t specify.
If the U-235 was in fuel rod form, that should be for LWR, which North Korea does not have. I suppose they could have enriched uranium and put it in rod form, but probably not since they couldn’t use it in that form.
In either case, GWR or LWR, it’s no where near nuclear weapons grade. Dirty bomb yes, nuke no.
Yes, Koreans seem to have a way with selling low budget items at premium prices to gullible foreigners.
I just hope Al Qaida buys a Korean Louis Vuitton or Rolex and not the real thing.
Lets be clear, this search had nothing to do with the UNSC sanctions. Shipping is a extremely tightly regulated industry, saftey of number one importance, and thats why they searched it. In fact, I don’t know how NK does as well as it is. never-the-less, NK vessels are regularly detained in ports around the world. In fact, last September one headed for Syria was searched and then later detained in Cypress, it was said to be carrying “meteorological” trucks, but in reality, they turned out to be for tracking aricraft (as part of a SAM battery).
Anyway, Lloydslist is reporting that this is the 20th ship from NK this year to visit the Harbor. That gives them a damn near 50% search rate…and 30% detainment rate. You would think that they would stop visiting Hong Kong.
Also, it turns out there was a American Guided Missile Frigate (USS Gary) in the port as the same time.
This is why I say treat North Korea mainly as a crime problem. Don’t send diplomats, send RICO investigators.
Can anybody think of another case where people were caught with actual nuke material trying to sell it?
I seem to remember some fakes that led to arrest.
Because, I think this is green light to war material.
The only way I can picture the US pulling the trigger on the North (besides in retaliation for an attack) —- is if they are caught trying to sell nuke material – or there is a “reasonable” belief they are the likely source of material on the underground market.
If this story heats up, and I were still in Korea, I’d have to think about getting out….
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