North Korea reverses decision to publicly register submarines

 
INA-sources

 In an unexplained and puzzling move, North Korea this week placed 13 of its several dozen known submarines on a public list maintained by an international maritime agency, only to have them removed a day later.

North Korea on Tuesday registered 11 Sang-O II-class submarines, as well as two more sophisticated vessels, with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), even though military craft are not normally listed on the registry.
By Wednesday, all 13 submarines had been removed from the list.

When asked about the removal, a spokesperson for the IMO told VOA Korean on Thursday that "member states may request to have their own data updated."

"GISIS is an online hub for the sharing of shipping-related data, based on information provided by member states," the spokesperson added.

Rare move

It is unclear what motivated Pyongyang's initial registration of the submarines, which was first reported Tuesday by VOA Korean.

Besides the 11 Sang-O II-class submarines, Pyongynang registered the Yongung, which is capable of launching ballistic missiles, and the Hero Kim Kun Ok, which is believed to have the capability to carry nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.

The Hero Kim Kun Ok was described by North Korea as its first operational "tactical nuclear attack submarine" at a launch ceremony in September 2023, just days before North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson told VOA Korean on Thursday that "the government is monitoring closely the situation related to North Korea's acquisition of IMO vessel identification numbers" after the registration was reported.

Source: VOA