Authors: Mariam Jejeia, Daduna Getsadze

On February 19, in Sokhumi, Alexander Ankvab, the de facto Prime Minister of the republic of Abkhazia, hosted Yoon Guk Nam, the General Director of the Mangenbon International Trade Corporation of North Korea. The meeting discussed the prospects of opening “trade representations“ as well as issues of cooperation in the fields of food industry, banking and tourism between Sokhumi and Pyongyang. The mentioned meeting aroused interest in the format of relations between the corporation and occupied Abkhazia.

Interestingly, members of the North Korean delegation cannot be identified from the circulated photo of the meeting. This can also be explained by the fact that North Koreans usually avoid identifying themselves while participating in such meetings.

Meeting Between Alexander Ankvab and Representatives of Mangenbon

What Do We Know about Mangenbon?

There is little information about Mangenbon's activities in open sources. According to Korean news sources, the corporation's business interests span various areas such as food processing, information technology, medical, seafood and knitwear industries. The name of the corporation originates from the name of a mountain near Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Interestingly, according to the UN Security Council report for 2022, the Mangenbon corporation left Russia in December 2019 due to sanctions imposed against it. The purpose of the said sanction was to limit Pyongyang's access to foreign currency, the lack of which North Korea was experiencing due to Western sanctions.

It’s also interesting that as per the same UN Security Council report for 2022, the corporation was engaged in the transfer of North Korean IT specialists to China in October 2022.

Information about the Mangyongbong 92 ferry can be found in open sources. Before Japan imposed sanctions on North Korea over its work on a nuclear weapons program, the ferry transported passengers and cargo to Japan. The ferry operated irregularly between Wonsan (North Korea) and Niigata (Japan). Its operation was discontinued due to the deterioration of North Korean-Japanese relations. Afterward, the ferry was used to travel between North and South Korea to visit Mount Kumgang (located in North Korea), but even this service was discontinued due to the rapid deterioration of inter-Korean relations following the murder of a tourist at Mount Kumgang.  

Mangyongbong 92 Ferry

The exact connection between the corporation and Mangyongbong 92 cannot be established, although some parallels between their activities can be drawn. Mangyongbong 92 transports goods and passengers, and the corporation participates in international trade and economic development. 

It is impossible to determine if the corporation uses the Mangyongbong 92 ferry in its business. Given the sanctions imposed on North Korea, such ties may not even be officially documented. According to Wikipedia, Mangyongbong 92 is owned by Daizin Shipping Co. The company operates in North Korea and Vietnam and is believed to be involved in the sale/delivery of coal. The company is controlled by the ruling Labor Party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The North Korean government and the Workers' Party benefit from the company's profits.

Despite the lack of confirmatory information about direct connections between the corporation and Daizin Shipping Co, certain similarities can be noted in their activities:

• Connection with the government: Both companies have ties to the North Korean government. Mangenbon is a state-owned company involved in various economic relations, and Daizin Shipping Co provides maritime transportation outside North Korea.
• Common operation field: Both companies are involved in international trade, which does not exclude cooperation between them.

Interests of the Parties

Abkhazia's Interest

Some relations between occupied Abkhazia and North Korea have been observed previously. In 2017, the North Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussed potential issues of cooperation in the fields of construction, food, textiles, and logistics with representatives of Abkhazia. Bilateral visits of delegations took place in 2018. North Korean companies expressed interest in sending migrant workers to Abkhazia. According to the Washington Post, in 2019, a total of 400 North Korean citizens lived in occupied Abkhazia. The Abkhaz media also reported about Korean migrants.

Representatives of the North Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry Meet with the De Facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Valery Bganba, in Sokhumi, November 2018.

Representatives of the so-called Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Abkhazia Visit North Korea, August 2018

Relations with the North Korean company are an opportunity to develop international ties for occupied Abkhazia which, except Russia, is recognized by four UN member states. Sokhumi hopes that such relations, in addition to economic benefits, may also contribute to the recognition of independence by North Korea. 

North Korea’s Interest

North Korea, under international sanctions, may have different motives for developing relations with occupied Abkhazia. First of all, this is an opportunity to circumvent sanctions. Abkhazia creates opportunities for the employment of North Korean migrant workers and the use of maritime infrastructure for trade. For North Korea, employing migrant workers abroad is a common practice to earn foreign currency. In addition, North Korea may use Mangenbon to disguise its illicit financial transactions.