A North Korean cargo vessel sank in waters near Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China, raising suspicions that the accident may have occurred during an illicit coal transport operation designed to evade international sanctions, according to a report by the U.S.-funded broadcaster Voice of America on June 17.
According to VOA, records from the International Maritime Organization show that the North Korean cargo ship Un Son 7 sank on Dec. 14, 2025, after colliding with a Chinese fishing vessel east of Zhoushan.
The vessel reportedly began listing heavily following the collision before sinking. All crew members were rescued, and the ship is said to have gone under within 20 to 30 minutes of the accident.
More notable than the collision itself is the vessel’s reported route. In a report submitted to the IMO, North Korea stated that Un Son 7 had departed from Nampo Port carrying approximately 4,600 metric tons of coal and was bound for Chongjin on the country’s east coast when the accident occurred.
However, the location of the sinking has drawn scrutiny. Waters near Zhoushan are not situated along the most direct route between Nampo on North Korea’s west coast and Chongjin on its east coast.
Zhoushan, located roughly 1,000 kilometers from Nampo, has previously been identified by the U.N. Security Council’s North Korea sanctions experts as a major area where North Korean vessels have engaged in coal transshipment and other sanctions-evasion activities.
As a result, observers have raised the possibility that Un Son 7 may have falsely declared Chongjin as its destination in order to conceal its actual voyage purpose.
North Korea’s coal exports are prohibited under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2371. In addition, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2375 bans ship-to-ship transfers involving sanctioned goods.
Despite these restrictions, the United States and its allies have continued to accuse North Korea of exporting coal and iron ore to China through illicit maritime networks. Last month, 10 countries—including the United States, South Korea, and Japan—along with the European Union issued a joint statement calling for stronger enforcement measures against vessels involved in North Korea’s maritime sanctions-evasion activities.
The United States also told the U.N. Security Council in April that exports of North Korean coal to China were continuing despite international sanctions.