North Korea demands release of ship seized by U.S.
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/05/north-korea-demands-release-of-ship.html
North Korea on Tuesday demanded the release of a cargo ship seized by
the U.S. on suspicion of breaching UN and U.S. sanctions, the official
Yonhap news agency cited Pyongyang state media as saying.
The U.S. government on Thursday seized the North Korean ship which
was being used to export coal, the first time Washington has taken such a
step against Pyongyang.
U.S. authorities said the ship, the Wise Honest, was captured after
it attempted to hide its country of origin and was now in their custody.
The Justice Department described the 17,061-ton, single-hull bulk carrier ship as one of North Korea’s largest.
“The U.S. should think seriously about what consequences its
brigandish act will bring about and return our ship without delay,” a
North Korean spokesperson was quoted by Yonhap as saying.
The spokesperson reportedly added that the seizure was a violation of
a joint declaration signed by the two countries, following the
first-ever summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un in June 2018.
Negotiations regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons have recently
stalled and tensions between the two countries have been rising.
Pyongyang and Washington have recently tested missiles. North Korea
launched short-range “projectiles,” while the U.S. tested
intercontinental ballistic missiles.