North Korea Skirts Sanctions With Ship Transfers Over Wider Area

Japan says North Korean ships have been spotted appearing to take on cargo in a new region, the Sea of Japan

North Korea’s ship-to-ship transfers for imports of critical items such as oil appear to have become more widespread as it works to lift sanctions pressure through talks with the U.S., according to Japanese officials.

On Tuesday, Japan said one of its military aircraft spotted a North Korean cargo ship this month connected by hoses to what appeared to be a Chinese-flagged vessel in the East China Sea, the fifth case of a possible North Korean maritime transfer reported in the same region by Tokyo this year.

...