UNSC decides to release two vessels detained in South Korea

Two vessels detained in South Korea on the charge of transferring petroleum products to North Korean vessels through “ship-to-ship transfer” banned by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) will be released. This is the first time that the handling of vessels, which violated UNSC sanctions against North Korea, has been completed.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that the UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea has accepted the South Korean government’s request to release the two vessels detained for violating sanctions against North Korea. The measure has been taken after the two vessels promised not to engage in illegal ship-to-ship transfers again. The discharged vessels are Hong Kong-flagged Lighthouse Winmore, which has been detained at the Port of Yeosu since November 24, 2017 and the South Korean P-Pioneer, which has been held at the Port of Busan since September 4, 2018.

The Lighthouse Winmore is the first vessel the South Korean government has detained for transferring 600-ton petroleum products to the North Korean vessel “Samjung ll” in October 2017, in violation of the UNSC sanctions against North Korea. The P-Pioneer is the first South Korean vessel detained for breaching the sanctions against North Korea.

According to the UNSC resolution 2397 adopted in 2017, in case, where UNSC member countries detained a vessel for violating North Korea-related sanctions, they can request discharge to the UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea within six months since detainment. If their request is granted, they are free to release the vessel in question.


Na-Ri Shin journari@donga.com