Date: 201308
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZKKP.ARTCC, FO
Flight conditions: IMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Widebody; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Cruise
ATC / advisory: Center ZKKP
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Second reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Dispatch
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Company Policy; Procedure
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: I was informed via ACARS that Dispatch needed me to make a SATCOM Call about flight route in South Korea. Upon making the call I was asked by the Duty Officer about penetrating North Korean Airspace. I told him that we flew according to the flight plan and legal release and we had Overflight Clearance on our Flight Release that said 'Overfly Permits: Korea: Hang Kong Jung Bo KWA - XX' (Note: Other Russian overfly permission was also on Flight Release). We flew as released over South Korea; North Korea; Russia; and into US Airspace. We flew our route according to the flight plan and the ATC clearance received. Our route of flight took us over KANSU; TONIN and NULAR at FL310. We were in contact with North Korean controllers prior to entering and throughout the period flown in North Korean airspace. North Korean controllers asked us for our estimated times at TONIN and NULAR; aircraft registration number; squawk and flight level. I was informed by the Duty Officer that the Dispatch personnel handling my flight was 'in training' and did not get the required 'Overfly Permits'/authorizations; even though the Flight Release stated the above regarding 'Overfly Permits'/authorizations. The Duty Officer stated that he believed that a 'human error' occurred during a training event. He also stated that I had a legal release and flew according to the release and flight plan.Make certain that 'Overfly Permits' state the appropriate Korea; SOUTH Korea or North Korea. Make certain that 'Overfly Permits' state the appropriate country if there is a North or South; East or West. Double check that the appropriate Overfly Permits are obtained prior to release. What does it mean when the flight release states 'Overfly Permits: Korea: HANG HONG JUNG BO KWA - XX'? Is this authorization to overfly? Perhaps 'OVERFLY PERMITS' should state 'Overfly Authorizations'?


Second narrative: While in flight on crew rest; I was informed that we had violated North Korean airspace that we had entered without a proper overflight clearance. The Duty Officer sent an ACARS message to the flight; and the other crewmembers spoke with him on the SAT phone. I did not hear this conversation. I was woken up and informed of the situation. I was the pilot not flying when the flight entered North Korean airspace. We received a normal handoff to Pyongyang (North Korea) ATC from Incheon ATC. We checked in as normal. The Controller did call once for a radio check; and also asked once for our registration number. All radio contact was readable; answered; and normal. We exited their airspace into Russia ATC. We were in North Korean airspace on track as planned; no direct routing; for 17 minutes. Our release does show 'Overfly permit: Korea: Hang Kong Jung Bo KWA-XX'.


Synopsis: An Air Carrier crew was notified during flight that they had passed through North Korean airspace without proper diplomatic clearance because a Dispatch training error had occurred.