UK Royal Navy ship joins UN sanctions enforcement patrols targeting North Korea

The UK Royal Navy River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey recently joined forces with the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force to increase pressure on North Korea to abide by international law.

On the latest leg of her Far East patrol, Spey linked up with Japanese allies to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The UN has passed several resolutions targeting Kim Jong-un's regime and what it said was its, "unlawful generation of revenue."

At sea, those resolutions manifest themselves in the form of monitoring suspect craft on behalf of United Nations Command, the Royal Navy said.

Spey spent time monitoring marine traffic in the Sea of Japan, looking for vessels of interest that could be connected to activity contravening the Security Council resolutions.

The resolution enforcement work came ahead of a visit by Spey to Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan.

“Our operations in the region are made possible by the support provided by regional allies, including the US Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, who we would like to thank for their hospitality during our stop in Sasebo," said Commander Paul Caddy, Spey's Commanding Officer.