OSC Returns to the UN Security Council to Brief on Continued DPRK Maritime Sanctions Violations

On 30 April 2026, OSC returned to the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York to update Council members on illicit maritime trade linked to North Korea’s prohibited exports. This marks the second consecutive year OSC has been asked to brief the Council.

During the briefing, OSC presented new open source evidence documenting at least five additional foreign-flagged or stateless vessels conducting eight voyages into North Korean ports between November 2025 and April 2026 to load sanctioned commodities including coal and iron ore.

OSC’s findings are based on a multi-source investigative methodology combining high-resolution satellite imagery, AIS transmissions, vessel databases and geospatial analysis. The evidence indicates continued evasion of UNSC resolutions prohibiting the export and transport of North Korean coal and iron ore.

The vessels identified include:

• ORION (IMO: 9638953)
• PEACEFUL 8 (IMO: 1039424)
• OSTROV ANTSIFEROVA (IMO: 9178070)
• DREAM WAVE (IMO: 8693073)
• FU RUN DA 1 (IMO: 1099814)

You can watch the full UNSC briefing on UN TV at this link (06:00 - 16:34).