June 27 (UPI) — Japan issued a photo of a ship in the East China Sea transferring fuel to a North Korean vessel, while describing the cargo transfer as illegal on Wednesday.
Tokyo released images of the illicit cargo transfer that took place last Thursday and Friday, South Korean news service Newsis reported.
The Japanese disclosure is the first of its kind since the conclusion of the June 12 summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Earlier in the year, a North Korean ship was seen accepting cargo in the East China Sea on multiple occasions.
According to Japan’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, the North Korean ship Yuphyong No. 5 aligned with a ship that appeared to have a Chinese flag on board.
The two vessels connected with a hose. Tokyo said the Yuphyong-5’s assets were frozen under United Nations Security Council sanctions resolutions adopted in March.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has yet to meet with Kim and has not stopped calling for additional scrutiny. On June 18, he pressed Japanese financial institutions to report any illegal remittances or money laundering cases involving ten North Korea-Japanese joint ventures, according to Newsis.
China has denied it is in violation of North Korea sanctions.
Ning Fukui, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s deputy special representative for Korean affairs, said Wednesday at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity in South Korea, Beijing is strictly abiding by all U.N. Security Council resolutions.
“There is no change in our position,” Ning said, according to Yonhap.
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