# Just how effective will the new UN sanctions on N Korea be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 6, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904 "2017-08-06T10:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904/1 "2017-08-06T10:49:05Z")
The UN Security Council has just unanimously approved [new sanctions on N Korea](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-un-idUSKBN1AL0NU). > [@](#): > > The U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean laborers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures. How effective will these sanctions be? Is there anything there that will seriously hurt the Korean economy? Are these sanctions any more biting than previous ones or is this simply another instance of _let’s slap some more useless sanctions on the country so it appears we’re doing something_? I’d really like to think it’s the former and N Korea will be forced to give up its plans for building ICBMs to threaten the US and its allies. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904/2 "2017-08-06T17:35:18Z")
The UN resolution will be very, very effective, and felt world-wide. Because there LOTS of TV interview programs, in which politicians need to claim that they have done something. They will all say "we imposed a UN resolution!!! That will generate a LOT of hot air, multiplied by all those diplomats in all languages. And that should increase global warming enough to melt polar ice caps and thus effect the entire planet. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904/3 "2017-08-06T18:12:50Z")
Sanctions are really the only option the rest of of the world has at its disposal to try and censure the Kim regime for pursing nuclear ICBM technology. Sanctions would, in theory, hurt the regime tremendously. They already have, despite concerns over China’s willingness to enforce them. However, The Kim regime is singularly focused on attaining nuclear weapons and the capability to send them as far as possible. No amount of sanctions will put a stop to that research. Nothing short of military engagement would achieve that, and the costs of doing so are considered too tremendous for consideration. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904/4 "2017-08-06T18:19:04Z")
It all depends on: 1. How many and which governments implement the sanctions. 2. How self-sufficient North Korea is. Anyone know the answer to these questions? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904/5 "2017-08-06T18:24:14Z")
Sanctions don’t hurt the government, they hurt the people, because they end up being the ones that the revenue is taken away from. Then the propagandists in the government blame it on all those evil countries, especially the Great Satan (or whatever non-religious equivalent Un has assigned to us). It’s certainly not going to affect their nuclear weapons program. And, much like Trumpists, the people will buy it, since they’re even more steeped in the propaganda. Sanctions require popular outcry from within to be effective, and that just won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-how-effective-will-the-new-un-sanctions-on-n-korea-be/792904/6 "2017-08-11T05:05:04Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > It all depends on: > > 1. How many and which governments implement the sanctions. > 2. How self-sufficient North Korea is. > > Anyone know the answer to these questions? 1. It mostly depends on China and Russia, which are the main trade partners of NK. They haven’t effectively followed through in the past, even when they promised to. 2. NK is not very self-sufficient, but they have responded to past sanctions by maintaining military spending and letting the populace suffer. Past UN sanctions were limited by a policy of seeking to limit “adverse humanitarian impacts”. The latest sanctions specifically remove that policy - if the sanctions result in suffering, so be it. But that is still unlikely to deter NK from spending on weapons research when they are so close to reaching their goal of a credible ICBM threat. Summary: Not likely to be effective.