Taiwan ex-lawmaker's son jailed for North Korea fuel shipments in collusion with Singaporean man

Taipei - The son of a former Taiwanese lawmaker has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for illegally supplying nearly 3,000 tonnes of fuel oil to heavily sanctioned North Korea.

A Taiwanese district court convicted Huang Chung-wei of violating the island’s Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, according to the ruling dated Aug 12 and seen by AFP on Aug 21.

Huang collaborated with Singaporean businessman Kwek Kee Seng, who is

wanted by the United States

and Taiwan, to transfer around 2,798 tonnes of fuel oil to two ships in Korea Bay, off northeastern China and North Korea, in 2019.

The ships were operated by companies blacklisted by the United Nations over their North Korean links, the ruling said.

Fuel shipments to Pyongyang are capped as part of a raft of UN sanctions that are a response to North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

Five others were also found guilty in the case and received jail terms ranging from seven months to two years and one month. They can appeal the sentences.

“For their personal gain... they not only disregarded Taiwan’s anti-terrorism act, but also seriously affected Taiwan’s international image and put Taiwan at risk of sanctions and condemnation from the UN and the international community,” the ruling said.

It did not say what Huang and the others received in return for supplying the fuel oil to North Korea.

Huang is the son of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Huang Jen-shu. The DPP is the party of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

In 2022, the US State Department

offered US$5 million (S$6.4 million) for information on Kwek

, blaming him for numerous fuel deliveries to North Korea and ship-to-ship transfers as well as money laundering through front companies.

Kwek owns the shipping company Swanseas Port Services based in Singapore. AFP