A North Korean ferry that carries passengers and freight between North Korea and Japan arrived Wednesday morning at Niigata port on its first stop this year.
The 9,672-ton Man Gyong Bong-92 occasionally plies across the Sea of Japan between Niigata and the North Korean port of Wonsan. Passengers on this trip included some 120 students of ethnic Korean schools in Japan who had been visiting North Korea.
The ship is regularly used for visits to North Korea by Korean residents of Japan and to carry food, electronic products and other items, including daily necessities.