Hong Kong: A North Korean cargo ship was sailing home today (Jan 5, 2007) after being stranded in Hong Kong for two months waiting for its cash strapped country to send money to fix equipment that violated safety regulations. 

 The Kang Nam 5 left its moorings on Thursday night after its owners finally paid for the repairs to its lifesaving,
 

communications and emergency lighting equipment, said the ship's local agent, Topping Enterprises.

The vessel's inspection papers and navigational charts were also deemed insufficient after the ship arrived without cargo on Oct. 25 from the southern Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung.

 Topping said the vessel usually hauls scrap metal.

There was much speculation that Hong Kong's move was in response to new U.N. sanctions ordering the inspection of North Korean ships  measures imposed after North Korea's Oct. 9 nuclear test.

But Hong Kong officials insisted that the inspection was routine and unrelated to the U.N. sanctions.

 A Topping spokesman, who only gave his surname, Wong, said the ship was sailing to North Korea's western port of Nampo.

"It planned to stop to refuel in the port of Lianyungang in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu," he said.

It may take up to three or four days to sail to Jiangsu because of bad weather.

"The vessel is expected to arrive home in about one week," Wong said.
 

Wong said ships are often detained in Hong Kong for safety checks, but a cargo vessel has never been held for such a long time.

"It may be due to their funding problems. And North Korean ships are less likely to comply with safety measures than the others," he said.

Local media reported the ship's repair bill was about US 30,000 (22,890), with an additional US 5,000 (3,815) for anchorage fees.
 

"The ship will return without its scrap metal cargo because the Hong Kong company that was supposed to consign the shipment had canceled due to the delay," Wong said.

 The Kang Nam 5 was the second vessel to be detained for safety violations in Hong Kong since the U.N. sanctions were imposed.

The first ship, Kang Nam I, was held on Oct. 22, but was released 13 days later after complying with safety regulations.