MANGYONGAONG 92
Latest ports
Latest Waypoints
Latest news
N. Korean ship banned by Japan to ply route to Russia’s Far East
VLADIVOSTOK--A North Korean cargo-passenger ship will begin regular services to and from the Russian Far East in early May, a sign of Russia's willingness to support the reclusive state at a time of heightened international tensions. Investstroytrest, a Russian company behind the venture, said the Man Gyong Bong-92 will link Vladivostok with the northeastern port of Rajin, which is part of the Rason special economic zone in North Korea. The vessel used to make regular port visits to Japan, but these were banned in 2006 when Tokyo slapped sanctions on North Korea for its ballistic missile tests. Six round trips are planned monthly, with the first service scheduled to leave Rajin on May 8 and arrive in Vladivostok the following day. The ship will carry tourists and migrant workers as well as grain, marine products and other goods. Chinese tourists will likely account for about 60 percent of passengers. Several thousand North Koreans are working in Russia's Far East, which has direct air and rail links with North Korea. http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201704240032.html
Cruising with North-Korean Style
On Tuesday, the mysterious state of North Korea launched itself into the glitzy world of cruise tourism when about 130 passengers set sail from Rason City's rundown port of Rajin, near the China-Russia border, for the scenic Mount Kumgang resort near the South Korean border. Isolated North Korea's "state tourism bureau" has teamed up with a Chinese travel company to run the country's first ever cruise aboard an ageing 9,700 tonne vessel which once plied the waters off the east coast of the divided peninsula shuttling passengers between North Korea and Japan. The ship was later used to transport cargo before Tokyo blocked its entry as part of economic sanctions over Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests in 2006. Some 500 North Koreans, about half dressed in dark workers clothes and the others in office and traditional attire, waved off the ship in a strictly choreographed performance on the potholed dock. More with photos of the ship http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC110831-0000773/All-aboard-for-cruising,-North-Korean-style
Upload News