China rejects entry of blacklisted N. Korean ship

SEOUL/BEIJING, March 9 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean ship has been denied of entry to Chinese port, following the United Nations resolution to impose sanctions on the communist country, media reports said Wednesday.

China barred the North Korean ship Grand Karo from entering the Rizhao port of China's northern coastal province of Shandong, according to Reuters news agency.

The ship was registered as being from Cambodia via a practice called flag of convenience to avoid taxes and other regulations.

It was one of 31 ships belonging to North Korea's Wonyang Shipping Corp., subject to an asset freeze and sanctions by Resolution 2270, according to news reports.

The U.N. Security Council adopted the resolution last week, imposing the harshest sanctions yet on North Korea to punish it for its fourth nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch last month.

Under those measures, several North Korean vessels have reportedly turned back after being denied entry at Russian and Chinese ports, while another ship was impounded in the Philippines last week.
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