Anchor: Following allegations that China has been selling oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, Russian vessels are now reported to have made such ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to the North. European security sources told Reuters that in recent months, this has happened at least three times. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Citing two senior Western European security sources, Reuters reported Saturday that Russian tankers supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months.

The ship-to-ship smuggling in October and November allegedly involved transferring petrochemical supplies at sea.

Sales of oil or other petroleum products are in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. 

The accusation comes in the wake of revelations that a Hong Kong ship loaded refined oil products from a South Korean port and transferred it to a North Korean vessel in international waters in October. 

The South Korean Customs Service seized and investigated the tanker, called the Lighthouse Winmore, after it reentered the Port of Yeosu on November 24th.

Around 600 tons of refined oil goods are estimated to have been transferred to the North Korean ship. 

U.S. spy satellites have reportedly detected 30 such incidents of smuggling since October. 

But Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying denied her government’s involvement in the case.  

[Sound bite: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying (Mandarin)] 
"A series of recent reports do not accord with the facts. China has always implemented U.N. Security Council resolutions pertaining to North Korea in their entirety and fulfills its international obligations. We never allow Chinese citizens and companies to engage in activities that violate the Security Council resolutions. If, through investigation, it's confirmed there are violations of the Security Council resolutions, China will deal with them seriously in accordance with laws and regulations."

As for the new allegations of Russian oil smuggling to the North, sources said there is no evidence that the activity is endorsed by Moscow. 

In response to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, the UN has slapped the regime with sanctions that prohibit nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to the country. 

In addition to the 500-thousand barrel cap for refined petroleum, the UN also limits crude oil supplies to North Korea at four million barrels a year. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.