Maritime Self-Defense Force ships have been deployed to waters around the Korean Peninsula, even near the Northern Limit Line, since late last year to thwart North Korean attempts to evade international sanctions, government sources say.
Following a request from the U.S. military in December, MSDF ships have been stationed in areas including the Yellow Sea to monitor whether refined oil is being transferred from foreign ships to North Korean vessels in violation of U.N. sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs, the sources said Friday.
The government may report on that effort Tuesday at an international meeting of foreign ministers regarding North Korean issues in Vancouver, British Columbia.