북한산 석탄, 지난해 9천여 톤 국내 반입…정부 조사중

North Korea reportedly shipped its coal to South Korea last year.
If found to be true, this would be a clear violation of international sanctions.
Not only that Seoul will be in a sticky situation, with the rest of the world questioning its ability to enforce the measures against Pyongyang.
For details we turn to Park Hee-jun.
South Korea may have violated UN Security Council resolutions... after inadvertently importing some 9-thousand tons of North Korean coal last year via Russia.

Broadcaster VOA reported Tuesday that an expert panel under the UN sanctions committee found that North Korea shipped coal from its ports in Wonsan and Chongjin to a Russian port of Kholmsk on Sakhalin... six times between July and September 2017.
The coal was eventually unloaded at ports in South Korea -- some of it at Incheon on October 2nd... and some at Pohang on October 11th.

The ships that carried the coal were later found to be operated by Chinese companies.
According to VOA, citing international inspectors,... the ships flew flags of convenience from Panama and Sierra Leone... but had Chinese addresses and phone numbers.

Under the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2371,... North Korea is banned from exporting coal.
An official at South Korea's foreign ministry said the government became aware of the shipments in October but there was not enough evidence to detain the vessels.
He told reporters that the authorities are investigating whether the coal is really from the North,... and whether South Korean private dealers were involved.
He added that they're also looking into whether the cases really do violate UN Security Council sanctions,... but he emphasized that South Korea is working closely with the international community to implement sanctions on North Korea.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.