North Korea Pooh-Poohing Sanctions


A second-grader cannot rule a country (except maybe in Ancient Egypt), yet North Korea’s continuous behavior and apparent disregard for common decency and sanctions imposed upon it, reflects leadership that is eerily reminiscent of such a second-grade mentality.

Recent Moves

Sanctions against North Korea are not new, however they are piling up, with the U.N. recently approving its toughest restrictions in 20 years against the country. These sanctions surpass the ones previously imposed on North Korea due to their nuclear tests, and focus much of their impact on the financial aspects of the situation. The hope is if North Korea does not have access to funds, it cannot continue to test nuclear missiles or operate a nuclear program, and this could also force them to come back to the negotiation table on this topic, which it hasn’t seen since 2008.

The most recent sanctions involved seven weeks of discussion between the U.S., China, Japan, Russia, and other western allies. Although China was involved and in agreement, it was reluctant to impose sanctions that would continue to hurt the people of North Korea since they already endure so much hardship, as well as that whole sharing an 800-mile-long border with them thing.

Current sanctions include:

  • Mandatory inspections of all shipments of cargo leaving or entering North Korea by land, sea or air. This prevents their ability to hide things such as missile parts like they used to.
  • A ban against Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, on the export of most of the country’s natural resources including iron, ore, and titanium to name a few, which contribute billions of dollars to the annual income.
  • Allowing the expulsion from other countries of North Korean diplomats and foreign nationals who engage in illicit activities.
  • Prohibiting the sale of aviation/rocket fuel and small arms to North Korea.

The caveat is that these sanctions will need to be enforced, which has previously been a tricky issue, and rest assured that North Korea will challenge them any way they can.

Past Moves

The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), North Korea’s official country title, has long blustered about its nuclear program, nuclear testing, and threats about testing missiles. Sanctions had already been imposed on North Korea four times, specifically focusing on its ballistics and nuclear program, and its previous nuclear tests.

N Korea Sanctions - South Korea Reacts As North Korea Confirms Hydrogen Bomb Test
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – JANUARY 6: South Koreans watch a television broadcast reporting the North Korea’s Hydrogen Bomb Test at the Seoul Railway Station on January 6, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea confirmed it has conducted a hydrogen bomb test after South Korea’s Metrological Administration detected an ‘artificial earthquake’ near Punggye-ri, North Korea’s main nuclear testing site on January 6, 2015. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., reminded the council that North Korea was the only country to conduct a nuclear test in the 21st century, and not only one, but four.

“With each nuclear test and launch using ballistic missile technology, the DPRK improves its capability to carry out a ballistic missile attack not only in the region but a continent away,” she said, which means their ability to reach almost anybody increases with practice.

Current Poo-Pooing

Even with the tougher sanctions in place, North Korea continues to plow forward as it wishes, not caring about its people, or seemingly about any sanctions. In January, Kim Jong-un published a letter confirming his intentions to start the new year off with a loud act of military defiance.

“For the victorious and glorious year of 2016 when the 7th convention of the Workers’ Party will be held, make the world look up to our strong nuclear country and labor party by opening the year with exciting noise of the first hydrogen bomb!”

North Korea then claimed that it conducted its first hydrogen bomb test on the sixth, and in February, it launched a rocket with a satellite. Several countries expressed concern and outrage at these tests that defied international sanctions already in place against all nuclear-related activity, but North Korea is not hearing anything except what it wants to. Perhaps these new sanctions will get their attention. At least the world will be watching closely to see what happens next. March isn’t over yet.

[Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images]

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