On Thursday officials told a state-controlled news outlet that the 35,000-dwt Morning Glory (ex-Gulf Glory, built 1993) was kicked out of the country’s ship registry shortly after authorities confirmed that the vessel was carrying what it called “contraband cargo”.
Pyongyang used the incident as an opportunity to accuse Western media of deliberately misleading the public by publishing articles that implied North Korea was engaged in illegal transactions with Libyan rebels, a suggestion it dismissed as “sinister” political propaganda.
North Korea did, however, admit the ship was given “temporary permission” to fly its flag for a period of six months but caused further confusion when it said the Morning Glory was “run” by Egypt’s Golden East Logistics Company, which later dismissed this claim.
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