The North Korean freighter Wise Honest was moved from the main dock this afternoon and is now anchored in Pago Pago Harbor at where reefer ships are usually moored.
Captain of the Port Honolulu, under which the local Coast Guard Safety Detachment Unit falls, Commander Michael Long oversaw the operation this afternoon.
The 17,000 ton freighter was towed out by the tugboat Posh Terasea which towed the vessel all the way from Indonesia, a trip which took three weeks.
The Wise Honest was seized last year in Indonesia for what the US Justice Department says is violations of UN security Council sanctions. It arrived in port last Saturday.
North Korea has demanded immediate return of the cargo ship. In a statement in the official Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s foreign ministry warned of unspecific “consequences” in response to the seizure.
“The US should carefully deliberate what consequences will follow in the current situation derived by their robbery and promptly return our ship.” said the statement.
Photo: Carlos Sanchez
