'Oil supply still active for NK military'

By Yi Whan-woo

North Korea still has a stable supply of oil from the outside world for military training despite U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, according to South Korean government sources, Sunday.

The military state has increased its number of drills recently using jet fighters, submarines and air-cushioned landing crafts (LCACs).

Dozens of LCACs have been mobilized from their base in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, to the waters off the port city of Nampo in South Pyongan Province for landing assault exercises.

Several types of submarines, including a 1,800-ton Romeo-class, 325-ton shark-class and 130-ton Yono-class are also “operating actively” throughout North Korean waters after departing their base on the west coast, the sources said.

“Our analysis show that the number of such drills rose between 1.5 times and double from a year ago when North Korea conducted fewer drills than usual,” a source said. “Those military assets consume large amounts of oil, and it shows North Korea has a route to receive oil for its military regardless of UNSC sanctions.”

Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, agreed, citing loopholes in UNSC Resolution 2270 imposed in March.

Although it bans transfer of aviation fuel, including rocket fuel to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear and related military activities, the resolution still allows exceptions if trade is “determined to be exclusively for livelihood purposes.”

The clause was included largely in line with demands from China, and to a lesser extent, Russia.

“There’s no way to tell whether North Korea is using oil imported from China and Russia for military purposes after pretending it will be used to help its people,” Yang said.

He also turned down speculations that the internationally isolated Pyongyang is staging military exercises by drawing on its oil reserves instead of continuing to purchase foreign oil.

“It may be possible, but at the same time, it shows North Korea is confident keeping its reserves filled up at any time through pipelines connected with China,” he said.

Meanwhile, a British magazine on military issues reported Friday that North Korea appears to be building docks to berth ballistic missile submarines.

Citing satellite imagery, the website of IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly said two covered docks that could shelter ballistic missile submarines have been under construction since between August 2009 and November 2012.

It said the docks are located 2.25 km south of the Sinpo shipyard on North Korea’s east coast.

The site is where the secretive state test-launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile on July 9. The test-firing was seen as a provocation against a July 9 agreement between South Korea and the United States to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here to deter North Korea’s evolving missile technology.