A report revealed that at least 17 ships have been registered under the flags of the Pacific nations of Palau, Niue, Cook Islands, or Tuvalu. These ships are being used by North Korean oil smugglers to evade sanctions, according to former United Nations experts. The U.S.-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies found that these ships were engaged in “high-risk behavior” in their operations, suggesting their involvement in North Korea’s illegal oil supply networks.
The former U.N. Security Council’s expert panel on North Korea, Neil Watts, stated that smugglers employed “layers of obfuscation” to conceal their activities while sailing. He added that almost none of the Pacific Islands have escaped North Korean attempts to hide their vessels. Ship owners could select the flag under which their vessel sailed by paying an unspecified amount of fee to join the country’s registries.
Hugh Griffiths, who led UNSC’s expert panel on North Korea, remarked that North Korean smugglers had been targeting Pacific registries because they are not monitored. Smuggling activities contribute to North Korea’s military goals and its nuclear weapons development program.
The U.S. has accused North Korea of deliberately evading the sanctions through elaborate black-market networks and clandestine ship-to-ship transfers in support of its unlawful weapons programs. North Korea has been conducting various tests, including its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile, escalating tensions with South Korea and the United States. Since the start of 2022, more than 100 missiles have been fired, raising concerns about international peace and security.