We may never know what really happened. Was it a mishandling by an overzealous North Korean official or a well-considered decision in preparation for a joint military exercise with Russia or China? All of which was followed by a major tantrum from Kim Jong-un when the story became public.
In any case, since the end of the week there has been no more data concerning the North Korean navy vessels on the website of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN structure specializing in maritime issues relating to navigation.
Thirteen submarines out of a fleet of 70
This strange case of disappearing data seems to have its origins at the beginning of the week when the media outlet “Voice of America” revealed that Pyongyang had registered on the IMO site, and for the first time, about fifteen submarines. A very strange move for a country that likes to show off its real or supposed military capabilities, but at the same time cultivates great discretion.
On August 28, in fact, the IMO site was enriched with data on 13 North Korean submarines and some of their characteristics: the name, year of construction, type of vessel, owner or even whether it is on a restricted list.
Among these 13 submarines were two of the flagships of the North Korean fleet: the “Yongung”, capable of launching ballistic missiles, and the “Hero Kim Kun Ok”, launched last September and presented as the country’s first “tactical nuclear attack submarine”.
Since registration on the site is not mandatory, this is not an exhaustive list of the North Korean submarine fleet. According to Washington and Seoul, Pyongyang has some 70 submarines, a large part of which are not very young vessels.
But two days later, still according to “Voice of America”, not only did the 13 submarines disappear from the IMO database, but what is more, the ten military vessels that were already on the site also vanished. A disappearance that according to IMO rules can only be at the initiative of the country that owns the vessels. The latter is free to register all or part of its fleet, but also the only one that can request that this data disappear.
Speculations
Speculation continues to run rampant in the small world of military experts. This is all the more so since, on the one hand, this is not a new building and, on the other hand, there is no obligation for a country to register its warships on the IMO website.
An example of a registration form, now destroyed.Screenshot of the IMO/DR database
Some see it, at first, as a kind of boasting. Pyongyang wanted with this publication that was cut short to demonstrate in broad daylight and in the eyes of the international community the power of its submarine fleet. And to suggest that the country has a real deterrent force while Washington and Seoul have just conducted new joint military exercises. Even though Kim Jong-un has, for a year, regularly called for strengthening the country’s navy because of the “risk of nuclear war” in its waters.
Others see this aborted approach as a way of preparing the ground for future joint naval exercises, with China or even Russia, with whom Pyongyang has strengthened diplomatic and military relations. Including outside North Korean territorial waters, since registration with the IMO is a way for a country to justify its nationality and legal control over any point on the globe.
