North Korea Sanctions Largely Depend on China’s Implementation

A day after the UN Security Council imposed 52 new sanctions against North Korea, the isolated regime fired six short-range projectiles about 100 kilometers off the Korean Peninsula. The sanctions “places a legal responsibility on UN member states, who will be found in violation of the resolution if they do not implement these sanctions,” reports Lee Je-hun, staff reporter for the Hankyoreh in South Korea. The sanctions put the onus on China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea’s foreign trade. Analysts suggest that China will be tough for about six months. Among the sanctions: Closure of overseas office and branches for North Korean banks within 90 days, most in China; bans on exports of North Korean minerals and sale and supply of aircraft fuel as well as inspections of cargo to or from North Korea. North Korea has up to 200,000 foreign workers, most stationed in China and Russia, and the article concludes: “The sanctions in the new resolution do not prevent North Korea from sending its citizens on overseas work assignments.” – YaleGlobal