Japan’s Ferry Service to North Korea: A Venture Through Time

Interesting fact: There used to be a direct ferry to North Korea from Japan.

It may be hard to believe, but at one point there was a “regular” ferry service between Japan and the Hermit Kingdom. This actually came about when the post-war Japanese government worked together with the North Korean government to return thousands of “Zainichi Koreans” (Koreans who were brought over to Japan during the occupation) back to North Korea. Long story short, the Zainichi were made to believe that North Korea was some kind of utopia that would welcome them with open arms…. But of course, we all know that was not the case. Trust me, the program was shady AF.

The Man Gyong Bong: A Vessel for Diplomacy and Deception

Anyway, during this seemingly friendly period, a passenger ferry was built for the North Korean government to allow some form of trade between the two nations. Known as the Man Gyong Bong, the vessel sailed between the port of Niigata on the Japanese West coast and the Korean port of Wonsan. It would mostly carry migrants, relatives of migrants, and up to 1000 tons of cargo on each trip. But North Korea being who they were, used the link for some less than ethical operations.

Time passed and relations between the two governments began to sour, mainly because North Korea harbored the “Japanese Red Army,” a communist terror group in Japan that would occasionally launch attacks against South Korea and Japan.

The Decline of Relations and the Role of Man Gyong Bong 92

By now though, another ship, the Man Gyong Bong 92, in 1992 had taken over and at this point, relations were still more or less good. Then in 2002, North Korea revealed they had kidnapped a number of Japanese citizens from Japan over the years and the ship which was used to carry them to North Korea….? The Man Gyong Bong and possibly the Man Gyong Bong 92. Needless to say, Japan was a bit peeved that their goodwill was used to harm their own citizens. It was also suspected that both vessels were used to smuggle illegal items such as narcotics out of North Korea for distribution in Japan.

Needless to say, the Man Gyong Bong 92 was more than a bit hesitant to return to Japan after this bombshell. But the straw that finally broke the camel’s back came in 2006 when North Korea tested nuclear weapons and launched several missiles that landed near Japan. This more or less killed any trade between the two countries, as Tokyo banned all North Korean ships from entering the country.

The Man Gyong Bong 92’s Final Chapter

But that is not the end of the Man Gyong Bong 92, as the ship was refurbished into a (and I am not kidding) cruise ship for Chinese tourists! Yeah… It did not last very long in that role and the service was as good as you’d expect it to be on a ship owned by North Korea.

~NC