A North Korean ship was preparing to leave Hong Kong waters early today 10 weeks after marine officials detained it and ordered repairs its owners could not initially pay for.
The 2,500-tonne Kang Nam V left its mooring at Yau Ma Tei anchorage in early evening but later anchored again southeast of Lamma late last night. It had been consigned to carry scrap metal to Taiwan but lost the contract because of the delay. Instead it was due to depart for North Korea empty.
It is scheduled to stop for refuelling in the Jiangsu port of Lianyungang before heading home to Nampo, the main port serving Pyongyang. A spokesman for its local agent, Topping Enterprises, confirmed the ship's initial departure, and said all its bills had been paid.
The ship was detained by Marine Department officials shortly after arriving on October 25 when routine port safety checks detected seven defects. They included outdated navigation charts and broken radio equipment.
Its North Korean owners were unable to pay for repairs until last week, leaving the ship and its 24 crew members stranded in the Yau Ma Tei anchorage.
Regional diplomats believe the Kang Nam's funding problems are a sign that UN sanctions imposed in October after North Korea tested a nuclear weapon, and an international financial crackdown launched in 2005, are starting to bite. North Korean vessels face unprecedented international scrutiny following the imposition of the UN sanctions, designed to thwart North Korean shipments of military and nuclear equipment and its imports of luxury goods.