TOKYO -- Three vessels banned by South Korea for illegally transporting coal from the North were found to have docked in Japan at least eight times over the past year, Nikkei has learned, raising questions as to whether Pyongyang is using Japanese ports to dodge a United Nations embargo.
N Korea at crossroads
Suspected North Korean coal smugglers made 8 port calls in Japan
Visits from ships banned by South Korea raise concerns about sanctions evasion
A North Korean tanker, below, is suspected of smuggling goods via a ship-to-ship transfer with a vessel of unknown nationality in the East China Sea in 2018. (Photo provided by Japan's Ministry of Defense via Kyodo)
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