South Korean intelligence estimates that a North Korean transport sank last month, killing 90 of the 130 personnel on board.
Media outlet TV Chosun reports that a “very large ship” carrying troops crashed into a river. The staff were to work on a fortification project along the border with the eastern province of Gangwon. The ship was overloaded, intelligence sources in Chosun said; his name has not been identified.
The outlet reported that the incident had sparked unease within North Korea’s military establishment and that Pyongyang’s unusual actions along the border area – such as the recent decision to fly 1,000 bags of trash across the demilitarized zone aboard unmanned balloons – could be linked to an attempt to redirect attention to an external enemy.
“Even if you try to hide it, it will inevitably become known. In this case, one of the things that North Korea always does is create external tensions to unite internally,” said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean studies at North Korea University. Ewha University, speaking to TV Chosun.
No report on the incident was released by North Korea and the account could not be confirmed. TV Chosun previously reported intelligence information that the South Korean government later publicly acknowledged.
North Korea’s fleet is aging and Western sanctions have made it more difficult to procure spare parts and repairs for the regime’s ships. The United States government prohibits trade and other transactions with North Korea, and the UN Security Council has imposed strict limits on North Korean trade (often ignored by China and Russia). In 2021, the North Korean cargo ship Cheongbong went down off Shimane, Japan with a cargo of iron; all personnel were rescued by a passing North Korean tanker.
Top image: North Korean ship (JonPRC / CC BY 2.0)
