Tag: North Korea

North Korea Eases Restrictions on Sea Smugglers Amid COVID-19 Dangers

Reported by Joonho Kim for RFA’s Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.

North Korean internal government directives point to a renewed policy of leniency for smugglers, who have been out of work since the government began cracking down on crossing the country’s border with China to prevent the spread of coronavirus, traders familiar with the orders told RFA.

A trader in Dandong, on the Chinese side of the Sino-Korean border told RFA’s Korean service, “They’re out here saying that North Korea’s government issued an internal guideline to allow maritime trade again.”

“We heard about the order recently, but it was given last Tuesday [March 17],” said the source.

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Source: rfa.org

Congress Seen As Failing To Prioritize Maritime Cyber Risks

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) routinely responds to cybersecurity breaches on ships at the same time lawmakers are failing to devote the attention and resources needed to help lessen the threat, according to government officials.

“The problems are very severe,” said John Garamendi, a Democratic congressman from California, speaking on a panel on “Securing Maritime Commerce” at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. this week.

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Source: benzinga.com