<em>Voice of America (VOA) </em>reported on August 29 that 13 North Korean submarines previously registered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) vanished from the listings in just one day.

According to VOA, the information about North Korean submarines disappeared from the IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), which displays the registration status of ships from various countries.

On August 27, <em>VOA </em>reported that 13 submarines, including 11 Shark-class submarines and the Sinpo-class 8·24 Hero Ship and Sinpo C-class Kim Gun Ok Hero Ship, were registered under North Korea's flag in GISIS.

However, by Wednesday morning, the list of North Korean submarines was still present in the GISIS data, but by the afternoon, it had disappeared. Now, searches for the IMO unique identification numbers assigned to the 13 submarines return a message indicating no such vessels exist.

Experts speculate that North Korea may have been involved in this action since vessel registration depends on the decisions of each country's government.

Neil Watts, a former member of the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on North Korean sanctions, suggested that the management of the North Korean embassy in London, where the IMO headquarters is located, usually provides the IMO with lists of North Korea's new vessels. He pointed out that this official might have mistakenly registered naval vessels (submarines) with IMO numbers.

It is not customary in other countries to register naval vessels with the IMO. Therefore, it is possible that North Korea realized the mistake and subsequently withdrew the registration.

Watts added that it is a typical tactic to keep the actual number of submarines confidential from the enemy.

Although North Korea has previously registered military ships with the IMO, this marks the first instance of submarine registration that has drawn attention. Some considered this move a measure with potential joint submarine exercises with China and Russia in mind.

Voice of America (VOA) reported on August 29 that 13 North Korean submarines previously re …

13 North Korean Submarines Disappear from IMO Listings