Kang Nam 1
Encyclopedia
The Kang Nam 1 is a 2,000 ton
North Korea
n cargo ship.
It is one of a series of five vessels, owned by the North Korean government
, named Kang Nam 1 through Kang Nam 5.
According to South Korean media reports, the Kang Nam 1 itself was probably built in Germany in the late 1980s. It then passed through a series of owners to a South Korean maritime firm, which in turn sold it to North Korea. In the summer of 2009, the ship left North Korean waters and entered international waters, probably carrying military equipment bound for Burma while being monitored by the U.S. Navy, before it turned back and headed for North Korea.
, North Korea
and entered International waters
. It began travelling South, along the Chinese coastline. A South Korea
n intelligence report fed speculation that the ship was destined for Myanmar
(Burma) via Singapore
with a cargo of weapons banned by the United Nations Security Council
, which permits North Korean ships to be searched if suspected of carrying illegal cargo under Resolution 1874
. Monitoring by the U.S. Navy
began almost immediately, and the began pursuit at some point after that.
North Korea warned that forced inspection of the ship would be considered an "act of war". Singapore responded that it would "act appropriately" if the ship were to dock at its port.
Burmese state media
denied that the Kang Nam 1 was coming to dock there,
but mentioned that a "rice-bearing" North Korean ship was due to dock at the end of the week.
The crisis took an unusual (and literal) turn when, without explanation, sometime during 28–29 June, the Kang Nam 1 reversed its course.
While the ship traveled back toward North Korea, several regional news agencies published more information about it and its possible mission. South Korean intelligence sources reported that the freighter was likely carrying North Korean-manufactured Soviet-era small arms such as AK-47
rifles and RPG-7
anti-tank launchers.
An unnamed South Korean government source told the Yonhap News Agency
that payment for the weapons from Myanmar's government were to take place via an unnamed bank in Malaysia, but had probably been stopped after a U.S. envoy visited Malaysia on 6 July to discuss the situation.
Myanmar denied involvement with the ship or its cargo,
and Malaysia insisted that it would not be involved in "money laundering" and would cooperate if provided any information on the alleged scheme.
The Kang Nam 1 eventually returned to its port of origin in North Korea, sometime between 6 and 8 July,
attention on it largely displaced when North Korea fired seven test missiles
during its return voyage.
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n cargo ship.
It is one of a series of five vessels, owned by the North Korean government
Government of North Korea
The North Korean government is the executive branch of the state, according to the Constitution of North Korea. In practice, the highest decisions are made by the National Defence Commission of North Korea which is led by its Chairman Kim Jong-il....
, named Kang Nam 1 through Kang Nam 5.
According to South Korean media reports, the Kang Nam 1 itself was probably built in Germany in the late 1980s. It then passed through a series of owners to a South Korean maritime firm, which in turn sold it to North Korea. In the summer of 2009, the ship left North Korean waters and entered international waters, probably carrying military equipment bound for Burma while being monitored by the U.S. Navy, before it turned back and headed for North Korea.
June/July 2009 events
The Kang Nam 1 came to international attention 17 June 2009, after leaving port in NampoNampo
Namp'o is a city and seaport in South P'yŏngan Province, North Korea. It was a provincial-level Directly Governed City from 1980 to 2004, when it was designated a "Special City" and made a part of South P'yŏngan...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and entered International waters
International waters
The terms international waters or trans-boundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems , and wetlands.Oceans,...
. It began travelling South, along the Chinese coastline. A South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n intelligence report fed speculation that the ship was destined for Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma) via Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
with a cargo of weapons banned by the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
, which permits North Korean ships to be searched if suspected of carrying illegal cargo under Resolution 1874
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on 12 June 2009. The resolution, passed under Chapter VII, Article 41, of the UN Charter, imposes further economic and commercial sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ...
. Monitoring by the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
began almost immediately, and the began pursuit at some point after that.
North Korea warned that forced inspection of the ship would be considered an "act of war". Singapore responded that it would "act appropriately" if the ship were to dock at its port.
Burmese state media
Media of Burma
The media of Burma refers to print, broadcast and online media in Burma . The media has undergone strict censorship and regulation since the 1962 Burmese coup d'état. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press; however, the government prohibits the exercise of these rights in...
denied that the Kang Nam 1 was coming to dock there,
but mentioned that a "rice-bearing" North Korean ship was due to dock at the end of the week.
The crisis took an unusual (and literal) turn when, without explanation, sometime during 28–29 June, the Kang Nam 1 reversed its course.
While the ship traveled back toward North Korea, several regional news agencies published more information about it and its possible mission. South Korean intelligence sources reported that the freighter was likely carrying North Korean-manufactured Soviet-era small arms such as AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
rifles and RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
anti-tank launchers.
An unnamed South Korean government source told the Yonhap News Agency
Yonhap
Yonhap News Agency is South Korea's largest news agency. It is a publicly-funded company, and based in Seoul, South Korea. Yonhap supplies domestic, foreign news and other information to newspaper, TV broadcast and other media in South Korea.-History:...
that payment for the weapons from Myanmar's government were to take place via an unnamed bank in Malaysia, but had probably been stopped after a U.S. envoy visited Malaysia on 6 July to discuss the situation.
Myanmar denied involvement with the ship or its cargo,
and Malaysia insisted that it would not be involved in "money laundering" and would cooperate if provided any information on the alleged scheme.
The Kang Nam 1 eventually returned to its port of origin in North Korea, sometime between 6 and 8 July,
attention on it largely displaced when North Korea fired seven test missiles
2009 North Korean missile test
Two rounds of North Korean missile tests were conducted in July 2009. On July 4, 2009, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched seven short range missiles into the Sea of Japan , after previously launching four missiles two days earlier...
during its return voyage.