South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that a foreign-flagged commercial vessel has been detained for violating UN Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea.
The detained vessel is the Tanzania-registered bulk carrier Prada, which arrived at the Port of Pyeongtaek on March 13 of this year and has remained there ever since.
The 2008-built, 17,400DWT vessel was previously flagged to China and had operated under the names Hua Tai Shan and Sophia.
Prada and six other ships that had allegedly violated sanctions against South Korea were listed in a joint statement released in May of this year by the governments of South Korea, the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy and France.
Between September and December 2024, while still sailing as Sophia, the ship had reportedly participated in coal-loading operations at Nampo Port in North Korea. UN Security Council resolutions presently prohibit exports of coal and iron ore by Pyongyang.
The IMO GISIS database has identified Marshall Islands-based Zhongxiang Shipping as Prada's operating company