Mizzima News

New Delhi (mizzima) - The North Korean freighter Kang Nam 1, suspected of carting weapons banned by the United Nations, is said to be heading back home but is yet to enter North Korean territorial waters, according to the  Yonhap News Agency.

Quoting a South Korean defence official, the Yonhap reported on Monday that the Kang Nam, which was being tracked by the US Navy, will enter North Korean waters on Monday.

"It has not yet entered North Korea. The journey is likely to end within the day," South Korean defence ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae was quoted as saying during a briefing on Monday.

The US Navy believes that the Kang Nam, which was reportedly heading towards Burma, is carrying weapons banned under UN Resolution 1874, passed in June after North Korea conducted its second nuclear test on May 25.

The resolution bans North Korea from exporting any type of weaponry, light or heavy, and has called on U.N. member states to inspect all North Korean ships suspected of carrying such weapons.

Detecting Kang Nam on international waters heading towards Burma made observers and critics speculate on the relationship between military-ruled Burma and North Korea, both of which have been internationally criticised.

Burma is criticised for its appalling human rights violations against its citizens and for its failure to bring about democratic changes while North Korea faces international ire for test-firing missiles and for its nuclear ambitions.