Strongest Measures Passed

United Nations Security Council passed a new resolution on Monday, which set a harder sanction against North Korea with limitation of oil supply to the rogue nation. While it had to compromise with China and Russia to reach the deal, United States praised the resolution as a “strong resolution.” One big question here is “Will Kim Jong-il stop his nuclear and missile intimidation with that resolution?”

It was the first time for nine UNSC resolutions sanctioning North Korea to include oil embargo, even though it was in a half way. The resolution banned exporting more than 2 million barrels of refined petroleum products a year. Export of crude oil would be limited to the level last year, which was 4 million barrels. As North Korea imports 4.5 million barrels of refined petroleum products a year, the sanction will reduce the import by 55%.

The resolution also prohibited North Korea exporting its textile products, which had been an only major industry not being included in the sanction list. The North will lose $760 million of annual income. 90% of its export will be the object of sanction by new resolution. And the resolution banned renewing contract of North Korean workers abroad. If all the contracts of those 93,000 workers are finished, North Korea will lose $500 million of foreign currency, which can be spent for development of nuclear and missile technology.

“Today, we are saying the world will never accept a nuclear armed North Korea, and today the Security Council is saying that if the North Korean regime does not halt its nuclear program, we will act to stop it ourselves,” said US Ambassador to UN, Nikki Haley. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the resolution as an unprecedented high level of pressure on North Korea.

US once wanted to include complete oil embargo, freezing the asset of Kim Jong-un in overseas and ban of his foreign travel. Abandoning those options, US obtained the approval of China and Russia, which had always been reluctant to put heavy pressure on Kim regime. With the compromise, US was successful in cutting $1.3 billion of the North’s income and adding stronger sanction within a week from last nuclear test in North Korea.

The sanction only works when the resolution is completely implemented. Certain amount of oil has been smuggled into North Korea. The officers of border control accept bribe from the traders. It is likely that Kim regime will accelerate its nuclear and missile development, because they need to finish it before their resource is exhausted. The strongest measures may not be the final answer.