Two ships detained in South Korea for months for violation of North Korea-related sanctions have been released at the UN’s approval. 

The UN Security Council North Korea Sanctions Committee on Monday endorsed Seoul’s requests to release the vessels after the ships’ owners promised efforts to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. 

One of the vessels is the Hong Kong-registered oil tanker Lighthouse Winmore, which was caught in November of 2017 while engaging in the illegal ship-to-ship transfer of oil and has since been detained at Yeosu Port. The other vessel, South Korea’s P-Pioneer, has been held at Busan Port since September of last year for similar reasons. 

UN Security Council Resolution 2397 allows the lifting of detention when a vessel in question promises prevention of recurrence.

It is said two other vessels under South Korea’s detention for beaching North Korea sanctions are judged to have intentionally violated the sanctions and likely face heavy penal measures, such as scrapping.