North Korea is jump-starting the illegal export of coal after shutting down almost all shipments during the first few months of the year while it sought to block the spread of the coronavirus, according to a confidential United Nations report.
Although activity came to a near-halt between January and March, shipments of coal have resumed. Imports of goods and commodities by road and freight have also restarted, though not at pre-pandemic levels, a panel monitoring the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea said in a report to the Security Council.
North Korea “continued to flout Security Council resolutions through illicit maritime exports of coal, though it suspended it temporarily,” the panel wrote. It cited evidence from one member showing that North Korea offloaded coal in Chinese territorial waters in late March.