Satellite image showing a Mongolian-registered cargo ship that departed from Busan Port docked at Wonsan Port, North Korea. Photo by Busan Maritime Police Agency
An Indonesian captain who traveled to North Korea without government permission has been sent to the prosecution in custody. The captain reportedly stated in police testimony that he "went there to sell meat."
On the 8th, according to a summary of reports from the Busan Coast Guard and the media, the police sent Captain A, an Indonesian national, to the prosecution in custody on charges including violation of the Act on Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation.
Captain A is suspected of traveling to North Korea after departing from Busan Port on February 9 without government approval, piloting a Mongolian-flagged cargo ship. At the time of departure, he falsely reported the destination as the high seas and docked at Wonsan Port, North Korea, until March 5 before leaving North Korea.
Later, when a fuel truck entered Busan Namoe Port, he again falsely reported the previous port of departure as the high seas. However, the Coast Guard confirmed that he attempted to conceal the fact that he called at a North Korean port without approval from the Ministry of Unification, and both Captain A and the ship-owning corporation B (based in Taiwan) were booked on charges including violation of the Act on Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation.
A Coast Guard official stated, "Not only calling at North Korea without approval but also falsely reporting the ports of entry and departure to related agencies seriously affects national security," adding, "We will respond strongly to acts that infringe on maritime security."
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