Report: North Korea vessel could have docked at Japanese port

SEOUL, June 3 (UPI) -- A North Korean vessel blacklisted under United Nations Security Council sanctions entered a Japanese port on Friday, according to data from website Marine Traffic.

The Ryong Rim was seen entering a port at Tsukumi on the southern island of Kyushu at 11:12 a.m. on Friday, Voice of America reported.

The North Korean ship stayed in the port until 9 p.m., local time.

The Ryong Rim belongs to North Korea's Wonyang Shipping Corporation. A total of 27 North Korean ships are the target of a Security Council ban that prevents the vessels from entering the ports of U.N. member states.

Since the adoption of a sweeping sanctions resolution in early March, however, North Korean ships resumed activities, and radars have indicated ships have been sailing near South Korea and Japan.

The Ryong Rim is the first North Korean ship that appeared to have landed in a Japanese port, but doubts remain over its actual status.

Japanese diplomat Hiroyuki Mase of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations said Tokyo is aware of the report, and completed a check.

There is no evidence the ship in question docked at the Japanese port, Mase said, but he did not provide further details.

Voice of America also reported the Ryong Rim could have been detained by Japanese authorities.

As part of sanctions, Japan has banned all North Korea ships from docking at Japanese ports.