Russia denies entry to ship carrying N.Korea cargo

Russia denies entry to ship carrying N.Korea cargo
4 Feb 2018 https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180204_03/

Russia has denied port entry to a ship carrying cargo from North Korea. It is believed that the vessel may contain a product whose import is banned under UN resolutions against Pyongyang.

The Russian operator of the Mangyongbong says it arrived on Wednesday in Vladivostok. But the ferry has been waiting offshore for 3 days.

Sources at Vladivostok port told NHK that the ship's cargo includes feed for livestock. They said it may be classified as an agricultural product whose import is prohibited by UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

Russia is said to have close ties with North Korea. But some Western media say Russian authorities may be using the entry denial to show they are observing the UN resolutions.

The Mangyongbong went into service in 1971 and was used in a program for Koreans who had lived in Japan to move to North Korea.

Last May, the Russian shipping firm launched a regular passenger-cargo ferry service using the ship between Vladivostok and Rajin port in the northeastern part of North Korea. But its use decreased due to tightened sanctions against the North.