NIIGATA -- Relatives of Japanese abducted by North Korea decades ago protested Monday in Niigata over port calls by a North Korean ferry allegedly involved in illicit operations, even though the ship canceled its latest voyage.
The Man Gyong Bong-92, which sails between Wonsan in eastern North Korea and Niigata on an irregular basis, canceled the scheduled Monday morning port call.
The move followed news that Tokyo would have banned it from carrying passengers if inspections during the visit determined it was violating lifeboat safety standards.