A North Korean cargo ship suspected of smuggling coal sank after colliding with a Chinese vessel in the Yellow Sea last month.
As reported by Yonhap, the incident occurred in late February near a southeastern Chinese port, with the North Korean ship having turned off its automatic identification system (AIS) to avoid detection. The crash is believed to have killed 15-20 North Korean crew members, although only a few survivors were rescued by Chinese authorities.
The Chinese ship sustained minor damage. Foggy conditions in the area likely contributed to the difficulty in avoiding the accident.
The North Korean cargo ship is thought to have been overloaded with coal, potentially violating UN Security Council sanctions, which ban the export of North Korean coal under Resolution 2371. North Korean ships regularly disable their AIS to evade detection of illicit activities.
The location of the crash is known to be a common route for smuggling coal, Yonhap notes.
