It was one of two rare flights captured on an Instagram user’s photo of the departure board at Pyongyang Sunan airport on the morning of July 7, the other being SAM674 to Tokyo, a U.S.A.F Boeing 757 which took Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s team to Japan for consultations after meetings with North Korean counterparts.
“The mission to which you refer was part of the routine support for the State department mission,” a U.S. official told NK News on Tuesday about the mystery cargo plane movement earlier in the month.
The normally Yokota-based Hercules flew to Pyongyang to facilitate an early-hours crew-change for Pompeo’s Boeing 757, the official explained, confirming what a second source had told NK News on condition of anonymity.
“For additional information, I would refer you to the State Department,” the U.S. official said.
The State Department, however, had previously been unable to explain the rare flight movement, despite notable interest in the story when first covered by NK News.
“We have nothing to share with you on this subject at this time,” a State Department spokesperson said on July 9 when asked about the purpose of the unusual cargo plane flight.
In terms of capacity, the stretch-modified C-130J-30 can carry either passengers – up to 128 combat-equipped troops – or cargo – a maximum of eight 463L pallets – according to the Air Force Technology website.
As a result, it would have had the capacity to fly out the remains of prisoners of war (POWs) or those missing in action (MIA) from the Korean War, a step that was seen as a key part of June 12’s Singapore Summit agreement between the U.S. and North Korea.
It is unclear if Pompeo’s first two trips to Pyongyang were also accompanied by secondary crew-change flights supported by Yokota airbase.
Flight data for military flights in and out of the DPRK is rare.
Edited by Oliver Hotham
