31 January 1968

Status of Merchant Shipping in North Korea
 as of 1100 31 January 1968

1. The last known locations of North Korea's five merchant ships
 (all dry cargo ships) are given below.* Four of these ships probably are
 attached to the fishing fleet. The other operates in the coastal trade.
 None has been detected in international trade, but two of the ships may
 have made voyages to the China coast.

* A sixth North Korean merchant ship, the refrigerator ship Daesong San,
 launched on 5 October 1967, was located at Nampo on 26 January 1968. This
 ship of approximately 2,000 GRT is still apparently being fitted out.

a. Wisung llo (1,500 GRT) -- a dry cargo ship in the coastal trade.
 May have made voyages to Communist China. Tentatively identified in Wonsan
 3 November 1967.

b. P'yong Hwa (1,935 GRT) -- a dry cargo ship attached to the
 fishing fleet. Previously may have sailed to China. Identified in
 Wonsan of 26 January 1968.

c. Paektu-San (7,218 GRT) -- a fish factory ship probably based
 in Kimchaek. Located in Kimchaek 3 November 1967. On
 27 January 1968 was identified by a North Korean submarine chaser at 9.6
 nautical miles south of Yongdaegap, near Sinpo.

d. MAG I (1,987 GRT) and MAG II (1,909 GRT) -- refrigerator ships
 attached to the fishing fleet. One was tentatively identified in Kimchaek
 12 December 1967, and one was tentatively identified
 Wonsan of 26 January 1968.

2. The last known locations of the three Polish-flag dry cargo ships
 operated by the Joint Korean-Polish Ship Brokers' Co. (Chopolship) are
 given below. These are ships previously owned and operated by Polish
 Ocean Lines, and presumably are still Polish owned. The Mickiewicz is
 under time charter to Chopolship and has a mixed Polish-North Korean crew.
 The others probably are under time charter to Chopolship also, but the
 composition of their crews is unknown.

a. Adolf Warski (6,718 GRT) -- departed Chongjin 30 December enroute
 Poland. Departed Penang 20 January.

b. Mickiewicz (4,344 GRT) -- Probably arrived Hungnam 11 January
 and departed Hungnam 26 January after loading cargo for Djakarta, Karachi,
 and Huangpu to be transshipped at Singapore. On 31 Jan OlllZ was at 26:27N,
 121:35E (opposite Foochow, China). ETA Singapore 4 February 1968.

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