In comments Wednesday, North Korean Ambassador Han Tae Song has warned
that North Korea considers the US seizure of one of their cargo ships to
be the “biggest issue” informing bilateral relations between the two
nations.
Han called the US seizure of the cargo ship a “wanton violation of international law,”
and called for its immediate return. He added that the fate of the ship
would affect future developments between the two nations.
The US captured the Wise Honest earlier this month, accusing the ship of
having exported coal from North Korea in violation of US and UN
sanctions. The US took the ship to American Samoa.
Though allegations North Korea is trading in violation of the bans are
not uncommon or even unlikely, it is virtually unheard of for the US to
just capture some other country’s cargo ship like this, and has North
Korean officials saying they believe the US is trying to pressure them
through the use of force.
North Korea: Impounded Ship Is ‘Biggest Issue’ in US Ties
Ambassador warns ship could affect future developments in diplomacy
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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