U.S. is tracking a number of North Korean vessels

The United States said it was monitoring “multiple” North Korean ships suspected of carrying weapons and that it would discuss with its allies what to do with one suspect vessel it is tracking.

While the United States has been tracking the Kang Nam since last week, the Pentagon said it is closely monitoring several other North Korean ships allegedly carrying weapons. “We have been interested in this one ship [the Kang Nam], but we’ve been interested in, frankly, multiple ships,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 “calls upon” member states to inspect all cargo to and from North Korea provided there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the cargo contains prohibited items.

Also, members may inspect vessels on the high seas with the consent of the ship’s flag state. Without that consent, the resolution “decides” that the flag nation shall direct the vessel to “an appropriate and convenient port” for the required inspection. The resolution doesn’t authorize the use of military force.

Morrell said U.S. authorities were monitoring North Korean ships even before the UN Security Council resolution and were doing so under the Proliferation Security Initiative. Created in 2003, the PSI is a multinational regime designed to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by interdicting and inspecting suspect cargo in territorial waters of 95 PSI members.

“Under PSI, we had obligations to and an interest in tracking ships to make sure there was no proliferation of any banned goods,” Morrell said. “We obviously, under [Resolution] 1874, have additional responsibilities and authorities, and we appreciate that.”

The spokesman added no decision has yet been reached on whether to hail the Kang Nam for inspection and said the United States will discuss the matter with its allies. Morrell declined to elaborate where the Kang Nam was headed, saying, “I don’t think it’s productive for us to discuss it.”

The ship was reportedly bound for Myanmar via Singapore, but Myanmar’s state media and Singapore’s maritime and port authority both said they had no information about a North Korean vessel being tracked by the U.S. Navy.

The New Light of Myanmar reported that the country was expecting the arrival of a North Korean ship carrying rice, but otherwise had no information about “this Kang Nam cargo ship.”

Also, despite reports that the Kang Nam would dock in Singapore to refuel, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said it has not received any information about the North Korean ship.

But the city-state’s Foreign Ministry said last week it would take necessary action if the Kang Nam arrived with banned materials.

“Singapore takes seriously the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials,” the ministry said. “If the allegation is true, Singapore will act appropriately.”

Also yesterday, the United States said it has extended its economic sanctions on North Korea for another year.

Acting under International Emergency Economic Powers Act, U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday renewed sanctions on North Korea. The move follows the United Nations Security Council’s decision to impose tightened financial sanctions and an arms embargo through its latest resolution.

“The current existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula constitute a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Obama said in a notice to Congress.

The restrictions on property dealings with North Korea were set to expire today.

The U.S. administration has also recently beefed up its missile defense amid reports of North Korea’s impending missile launch. And six U.S. Congressmen, including Republican Trent Franks from Arizona, submitted a bill on June 12 calling for deployment of at least 40 ground-based missile interceptors in Alaska against the North Korean missile threat. Franks is founder and co-chair of the Bi-Partisan Missile Defense Caucus.

The bill, “Protect the Homeland from North Korean and Iranian Ballistic Missiles Act,” argued that North Korea’s long-range ballistic missile technology “poses a real threat to the United States homeland” and asked for extra deployment of missile interceptors.

The bill also “authorizes the appropriation” of $500 million for fiscal year 2010 for the ground-based defense system of the Missile Defense Agency.

By Yoo Jee-ho [jeeho@joongang.co.kr]