Foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk speaks during a press briefing at the ministry office in Seoul, May 8. Yonhap

The foreign ministry stressed Thursday that all United Nations member states, including North Korea, have the obligation to comply with Security Council resolutions, after a news report that a North Korean oil tanker with a sanctions violation record was detected in Chinese waters.

The Voice of America (VOA) has reported the oil tanker, names Mu Bong 1, was spotted in waters east of a Chinese port on the east coast on Monday (local time), spawning suspicion of illicit maritime activities by Pyongyang in violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

The Mu Bong 1 vessel is known to have engaged in multiple illicit ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned products in the East China Sea in 2019, according to the VOA.

"U.N. member states are responsible for faithfully implementing relevant UNSC resolutions and international standards over the course of all types of human and material exchanges, including those that have resumed after North Korea's full border reopening," foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a press briefing.

"Our government is closely watching North Korea for suspected sanctions evasion and suspicious movements," Lim said, vowing continued diplomatic efforts and coordination with the international community over the matter.

North Korea is banned from transporting fuel and other commodities via ships under the UNSC sanctions resolutions imposed in response to it nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang is believed to have engaged in constant illicit ship-to-ship transfers to evade sanctions. (Yonhap)

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