Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Prada Vessel Detained for Violating UNSC Sanctions Against North Korea"

The government has been detaining a vessel since March 2026 that was found to be involved in violating United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

Photo shows containers stacked at Pyeongtaek Port, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on July 22, "Based on information that the vessel Prada had previously been involved in activities violating UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, the government conducted a joint investigation with relevant ministries on the vessel when it entered Pyeongtaek Port in March 2026."

The official added, "As a result of the government’s investigation, the Prada was found to have violated Security Council resolutions, and as a follow-up measure under the UN resolutions, the ship is currently being detained."

According to vessel tracking firm MarineTraffic and others, the Prada entered Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi Province on March 13, 2026, and has not recorded any departures since then.

Regarding the situation, an official explained, "We have not granted departure clearance," adding, "The investigation has already been completed, but according to Security Council regulations, the vessel is restricted from departing." Under UN Security Council rules, ships are not permitted to depart for at least six months from the date of entry.

According to Voice of America (VOA), the Tanzanian-flagged vessel Prada was mentioned in the joint statement on the enforcement of North Korea sanctions issued by 10 countries—including the United States, South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia—and the European Union's External Action Service in May 2026. The statement called for a swift designation of seven ships, including vessels involved in North Korea’s coal and iron ore exports, that were recommended as sanction targets to the UN Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee.

The private analysis firm Open Source Center (OSC) also released satellite images showing the Prada, while operating under the name "SOPHIA," loading coal at Nampo Port in North Korea in September and December 2024.

Meanwhile, in March 2024, the government also seized and investigated an unidentified cargo ship named "De Yi" near Yeosu Port in South Jeolla Province on suspicion of violating North Korea-related sanctions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.