Int'l sanctions against N. Korea ineffective: report

SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- Economic sanctions imposed on North Korea by the
international community have failed to have a noticeable impact, a report by a
state-run think tank here said Monday.

The Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) report claimed that
United Nations resolutions 1695 and 1718 passed after the North fired off a long
range missile and tested a nuclear device in July and October of 2006 had little
impact on the country's overall trade.
The two resolutions called for a ban on parts, materials and technologies that
could be used in the development of missiles and all transactions related to
components that can make weapons of mass destruction.
It also bans trade of luxury goods and permits foreign countries to inspect North
Korean cargo ships suspected of moving contraband.
"Analysis of trade activities showed that export and import volume of the
communist country may have increased after restrictions were imposed," the paper
by Jeong Hyung-gong and Bang Ho-kyung said.
The two research fellows added that they have found no evidence to substantiate a
decrease in trade and speculated that North Korea's external commercial
transactions actually grew with non-socialist bloc economies.
"The lack of effectiveness can be attributed to the inability of the sanctions to
gain wide participation among U.N. members," the report said.
It said to overcome such shortcomings it may be prudent to utilize the six-way
talks framework aimed at getting Pyongyang to halt its nuclear program.
The two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China are members of the
six-way talks. Pyongyang had bolted from the talks but has hinted that it may
return if it can hold bilateral talks with Washington to resolve outstanding
differences.
The paper said using the six-party talks could influence the G20 economies that
account for roughly 70 percent of all trade with the North, to take part in any
trade restrictions down the road.
Jeong and Bang, in addition, pointed out that it is important to take into
account that both China and Russia have been reluctant to actually punish the
North.
Lack of participation by the two countries that border the North could be
responsible for the absence of any real impact by the sanctions.
"It may be important to balance sanctions with benefits that can nudge the North
forward," the experts said, "making clear that South Korea must be willing to
provide aid if Pyongyang decides to give up its nuclear ambitions."
This, they said, could get the North to realize that if they discontinue and
dismantle nuclear program, tangible gains will follow.
The KIEP paper, meanwhile, said that it may be advisable for Seoul to use the
United Nations Security Council and six-way talks when implementing sanctions
against Pyongyang, instead of taking a bilateral approach.
Beside the two U.N. resolutions passed in 2006, the international body penalized
North Korea in 1993 after it walked out of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty,
and in June of this year when the communist country detonated a second nuclear
device.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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