The United Nations has hit North Korea with a new round of trade sanctions. The latest action by the Security Council is in response to the country’s last round of nuclear tests—held in September. But whether these moves will be effective is another question. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.
If you feel like you’ve heard a lot of stories about trade sanctions against North Korea, you’ve got a point. The sanctions—and the stories--go all the way back to the 1950’s. Penalties have included cuts in government aid, restrictions on travel and access to international currency, and a shut off of luxury goods….along with varying degrees of straight-up trade embargoes.
None have proven to be particularly effective when it comes to changing behavior on issues from money laundering to nuclear testing. Some diplomats have used the analogy of trying to discipline a misbehaving child who does not respond to the threat of penalties.
This March, the UN imposed a series of sanctions described in the media as the toughest in twenty years. Among other steps, they called for the inspection of all cargo going to and from North Korea and a ban on all weapons trading.
So what’s left for this round? The country’s leading export: minerals—and especially coal. Coal exports—sent almost exclusively to China--will be cut by about 60%….at a cost to the government the UN puts at $700 million dollars.
These sanctions also ban the export of statues. That may sound curious…but the big propaganda-style monuments are a popular export to countries run by autocrats and dictators…with a booming business in Africa.
