Chong Chon Gang
Chong Chon Gang (Korean: 청천강호; Hanja: 淸川江號) is a North Korean cargo ship, later renamed the Tong Hung San.
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | 1977-2014 Chong Chon Gang 2014-present Tong Hung San |
| Namesake | Ch'ongch'on River |
| Owner | Chongchongang Shipping (2013) |
| Operator | Chongchongang Shipping (2013) |
| Port of registry | Nampo, North Korea |
| Builder | Nampo Shipyard |
| In service | 1977 |
| Identification | IMO number: 7937317 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | General cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 9,147 GT |
| Length | 155 m (509 ft) |
| Beam | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Draft | 8.9 m (29 ft) |
| Crew | 35 |
The 155 m (509 ft) general cargo ship was built in 1977 in Nampo. Its owner is listed as Chongchongang Shipping of Pyongyang. Chongchongang Shipping may be a front company answering to "Office #39" (otherwise known as the Central Committee Bureau 39) of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which is responsible for state-sanctioned illicit activities such as the smuggling of prohibited items including weapons and luxury goods. Office #39 was created in 1974 as a department-level organization within the WPK Secretariat under the WPK Central Committee. According to a study published by the US Strategic Studies Institute, its primary role was and still is engaging in illegal activities in order to generate hard currency for the North Korean government.