DPRK NUCLEAR AND SANCTIONS

North Korea (or DPRK), is the world’s most militarized society with a total of 9,495,000 active, reserve and paramilitary personal, whose quest to obtain nuclear weapons has been ongoing since the 1970’s under the leadership of Kim il Sung, as the “eternal president.” Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter proposed to engage than to impose unilateral sanctions for North Korea and the U.S. could avoid a war.1

Even with more sanctions, DPRK remains resolute in making progress in this arena,2potentially even preparing to export more nuclear technology to their Iranian and Syrian counterparts.

Kim Jung-Li succeeded in creating a family of long range rockets and conducted missile tests of the Taepo Dong I, beginning in 1998.[15] (The DPRK has insisted this was a satellite launch). This test occurred despite unilateral sanctions by the U.S. in 1992[16] and by the UNSC in 1993.[17]  Undeterred, Kim Jung-Li continued with tests in 2006 and 2009,[18] whereby the UNSC responded with more sanctions. Resolution 1718 precluded countries from exporting military goods, froze assets and imposed travel bans for those engaged in the DPRK’s nuclear program, and allowed cargo inspection to prevent trafficking of nuclear material.[19] It did not preclude humanitarian assistance.

The international community needs to consider new approaches in dealing with North Korea. Ignoring it and treating it like a pariah state is bad for business.[35]

In 1998, the ROK called upon the U.S. to ease sanctions on North Korea. ROK President Kim Dae Jung stated that this would be “more effective” in getting North Korea to be more “open” and to “liberalize.”[38] He was known for being one of the biggest proponents of engaging North Korea.[39] Unfortunately, the position of recent ROK leaders has (understandably) changed.

It will require that much more is tabled for the 2.4 million people in North Korea who starve, are exploited, tortured, or are dying.[42]  Constructive engagement requires a focus on proliferation but a hyper focus on human rights and eliminating criminal activity.

The UNSC needs to stop its robotic response of applying sanctions.

1 David Sanger, “Kim Il Sung  Dead at Age 82, Led North Korea 5 decades; was near talks with

South” The New York Times, July 9, 1994, available at:

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/09/world/kim-il-sung-dead-at-age-82-led-north-korea-5-

decades-was-near-talks-with-south.html

2 Grietens, above N9, p. 64

In reality, innocent people suffer because of sanctions, not the intended targets.[45] Some continue to believe that “smart” or “targeted” sanctions are enough to deter aggression and other kinds of behavior which threaten the international order. If the history of North Korea is not enough to prove that sanctions are ineffective, just ask Putin.[46][15] Ian Anthony, “Responses to proliferation: the North Korean ballistic missile program” Sipri Yearbook 2000, p. 652, (2000), available at: http://www.sipri.org/research/disarmament/dualuse/publications/yearbook/yb0011

[16] Daryl Kimball, “Chronology of US –North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy” updated February 2014, available at: https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/dprkchron

[17] Security Council Resolution 825 (1993) http://www.globalpolicy.org/images/pdfs/0511res825.pdf

[18] Associated Press, “North Korea Prepping for 4 th nuclear test, South Korea says” May 8,

2014, available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-prepping-for-4th-nuclear-test-

south-korea-says/

[19] Wiesel, Havel, and Bondevick, citing to Resolution 1718, above N14, p. 17

[35] Stanton and Lee, “The danger of North Korea is no joke” CNN, May 12, 2014, available at:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/12/opinion/stanton-lee-north-korea-hate-crimes/

[38] Detroit News Wire Services, “South Korea Pleads to End Sanctions” June 8, 1998,

available at: http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/202/42442.html

[39] The Economist, “A glint of sunshine” August 20, 2009, available at:

http://www.economist.com/node/14259036

[42] Megaloudi, above N27

[45] Megaloudi, above N27

[46] See Meghan L. O’Sullivan, “Why Aren’t Sanctions Stopping Putin?” Council on Foreign

Relations, May 13, 2014, available at: http://www.cfr.org/russian-federation/why-arent-

sanctions-stopping-putin/p32981