The North Korean ship Man Gyong Bong-92, believed to be a key conduit for Pyongyang espionage activities, carried a political officer known as a "second captain" to deliver clandestine orders when the vessel called at Japan, sources said Thursday.
The second skipper, also called an "instruction" or "political" captain, was apparently not involved in navigation but made regular trips to Japan aboard the 9,672-ton vessel, which plies the Sea of Japan between North Korea's Wonsan and Niigata.
According to Japanese police, the ship was used to transmit espionage orders to a 72-year-old North Korean agent based in Japan.