Thirteen North Korean submarines, previously registered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), mysteriously disappeared from the organization’s registry the day after news of their registration broke.
On August 28, the details of North Korean submarines were removed from the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), a platform managed by the IMO that tracks the registration status of vessels worldwide.
Just a day prior, on August 27, Voice of America had reported that 13 North Korean submarines were listed on GISIS.
These included 11 “Sang-O (shark)”-class submarines, a “8·24 Yongung (hero),” and a Sinpo-C class “8·41 Hero Kim Kun Ok.”
However, by the afternoon of August 28, all 13 submarines, which were still listed in the morning, had been suddenly removed from the GISIS database.
Furthermore, searching for the unique IMO identification numbers assigned to these 13 submarines now yields a “vessel not found” message on the GISIS system.
Interestingly, other North Korean vessels, particularly military ships previously registered by North Korea, remain listed on the registry. It appears that this action was exclusively targeted at the 13 submarines.
“It’s a possibility that they may have made an error in trying to register naval ships with an IMO number as this is not customary amongst other countries,” said Neil Watts, a retired captain in the South African Navy and an expert on the United Nations Security Council Panel of Experts for North Korea.
He told VOA, “So, one would have to speculate to look into the intentions in this regard, it’s entirely possible it was simply an area by an official to register these vessels and then when noticed the error that they withdrew their application.”
On the previous day, VOA reported that 13 submarines have been assigned a unique IMO identification number. The registering entity is listed as the “North Korea Gov’t Naval Force.”
The 11 submarines named “Shark-Class” are small submarines operating along the Korean Peninsula’s coast.
North Korea reported the construction years for the Shark-Class submarines as follows: 2004 for submarines 1–3, 2005 for 4–7, and 2006 for 8–11. However, these are known to be upgraded versions of older Shark-Class submarines from the 1990s.
The “8·24 Hero” submarine, which North Korea previously revealed during its tests of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), was listed with a construction year of 2016, though details such as displacement have not been disclosed.
The “Hero Kim Kun Ok” submarine is listed as having been constructed in 2023. North Korea unveiled this submarine at a launch ceremony in September last year, claiming it to be a tactical nuclear attack submarine.
While this was the first time North Korea has registered submarines with the IMO, there have been previous instances of military vessels being registered.
Experts suggest that this move could be related to potential joint submarine exercises with China and Russia.
Bruce Bennett, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, told VOA, “I think they’re trying to get recognition of their submarines to get people to pay attention to the fact that they’ve actually got some capabilities.”
Professor Bruce Bechtol from Angelo State University also raised the possibility of joint military drills involving North Korea, Russia, and China, pointing out the selective registration of only Shark-Class submarines and two new SLBM submarines, which might indicate a focus on training participants.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
