Mangyongbong-92
Encyclopedia
The Mangyongbong-92, named after a hill near Pyongyang
, is a passenger ferry
built in 1992 to celebrate the North Korea
n leader, Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday. The ferry was built with funds from Chongryon
, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
The ferry makes 20 to 30 trips per annum between Niigata, Japan
and Wonsan
, North Korea. A typical journey lasts about 28 hours. It is mainly used by Zainichi Korean
s visiting relatives in North Korea, and for school trips by Korean schools in Japan.
In 2003, the ferry became an object of suspicion in Japan http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2958968.stm, with allegations that it was being used to transport North Korea's missile parts, made by a North Korean defector to a US Senate committee. The allegations were denied by So Chung-on, the head of Chongryon
's foreign affairs bureau, and so far remain unsubstantiated.
On July 5, 2006, Japan banned the ferry from entry because North Korea
test-fired Taepodong-2 missiles which fell into the Sea of Japan
(East Sea of Korea).
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, is a passenger ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
built in 1992 to celebrate the North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n leader, Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday. The ferry was built with funds from Chongryon
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...
, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
The ferry makes 20 to 30 trips per annum between Niigata, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Wonsan
Wonsan
Wŏnsan is a port city and naval base in southeastern North Korea. It is the capital of Kangwŏn Province. The population of the city is estimated to have been 331,000 in 2000. Notable people from Wŏnsan include Kim Ki Nam, diplomat and Secretary of the Workers' Party.- History :The original name of...
, North Korea. A typical journey lasts about 28 hours. It is mainly used by Zainichi Korean
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
s visiting relatives in North Korea, and for school trips by Korean schools in Japan.
In 2003, the ferry became an object of suspicion in Japan http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2958968.stm, with allegations that it was being used to transport North Korea's missile parts, made by a North Korean defector to a US Senate committee. The allegations were denied by So Chung-on, the head of Chongryon
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...
's foreign affairs bureau, and so far remain unsubstantiated.
On July 5, 2006, Japan banned the ferry from entry because North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
test-fired Taepodong-2 missiles which fell into the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
(East Sea of Korea).
Specifications
- Weight: 9,672 tonnes
- Length: 162.1 m
- Width: 20.5 m
- Speed: 23 knots
- No. of Passengers: 220