Voice of America (VOA) reported on the 10th that a ship suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea appears to have been detained in Korea for three months. The ship has been flagged for alleged involvement in the export of coal and iron ore from North Korea, raising the possibility that the Korean government has launched an investigation.
According to MarineTraffic, a ship location information provider, the PRADA is shown near Pyeongtaek Port on Korea's west coast. Also known as the SOPHIA, the vessel was mentioned in a joint statement on enforcing sanctions on North Korea released on the 29th by 10 countries—including the United States, Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Australia—and the European External Action Service (EU).
The joint statement identified five ships recently involved in the export of coal and iron ore from North Korea and urged the swift designation of seven ships that were recommended for sanctions in Dec. 2025 by the United Nations Security Council's Sanctions Committee on North Korea. The PRADA is one of the seven.
The joint statement said it confirmed indications that these vessels were involved in the export of coal and iron ore from North Korea, which is banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions. Previously, the Open Source Center (OSC), a private analysis institute, released satellite images showing the PRADA, operating under the name "SOPHIA," loading coal at Nampo Port in North Korea in Sept. 2024 and Dec. 2024.
VOA, after reviewing the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' ship entry and departure records, confirmed that the PRADA entered Pyeongtaek Port on Mar. 13 and has no departure record to date. Given that ship entry and departure records are typically public, the vessel is presumed to have remained at Pyeongtaek Port for about three months.
This suggests that Korean authorities may be investigating or detaining the vessel. In the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), the PRADA is registered under the flag of Zanzibar, Tanzania, and its operating company is listed as Zhongxiang Shipping, based in the Marshall Islands.
This is not the first time a vessel suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea has been detained in Korea. In Mar. 2024, the Korean government seized and investigated the cargo ship De Yi, of unidentified registry, in waters near Yeosu Port, South Jeolla Province, on suspicion of violating sanctions on North Korea.
Experts say that investigations or detention measures against vessels suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea could send a strong warning to the related industry. Neil Watts, former member of the United Nations Security Council's Panel of Experts on sanctions on North Korea, said, according to VOA, "Even action against a single vessel sends a message to the industry and creates a deterrent effect."
Watts said, "Sanctions on North Korea may have been pushed to the back burner due to current international issues, but there is a need to send a message that they have not been forgotten," adding, "Companies operating the so-called 'shadow fleet' linked to North Korea will recognize the threat that their vessels could also become targets of sanctions enforcement."
Meanwhile, some of the vessels identified in the joint statement as being involved in transporting coal and iron ore from North Korea appear to still be operating. VOA's analysis of MarineTraffic data found that the DREAM WAVE, PEACEFUL 8, and ORION have recently been sailing in international waters.