hankyoreh

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

On July 6, the US government placed sanctions on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un because of alleged human rights violations. The sanctions ban Kim from entering the US while freezing his assets in the US and suspending any transactions with him.

The US government’s action is a rare example of placing sanctions directly on the leader of another country. It is all the more troubling since it could have a serious impact on the US’s relations with North Korea and on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

This past March, the US blacklisted five North Korean organizations and 11 individuals in response to North Korea’s provocations involving nuclear weapons and long-range rocket launches. Then on June 1, it designated North Korea as a “primary money laundering concern” in accordance with sanctions against North Korea that had been passed by Congress.

But these sanctions carry a different symbolic weight, since they directly target Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s “supreme dignity” and a figure who is handled with extreme care in the North.

Given the major ramifications of the sanctions against North Korea, they must have been personally approved by US President Barack Obama. North Korea’s successful launch of a Musudan missile last month likely influenced Obama’s decision. The US presumably concluded that it had no choice but to put pressure on North Korea because of its continuing misbehavior.

But by adopting such a tough measure, the US is throwing away the chance to resolve its differences with North Korea through dialogue. For this reason, the measures could act as an obstacle to US-North Korean relations in the future. Unless the US is playing the North Korean card to push ahead with the deployment of THAAD missile defense system in South Korea and to toughen its military check on China, the sanctions are not helpful to anyone.

The sanctions besmirch the honor of North Korea’s supreme leader, and it is obvious that Pyongyang will retaliate with fury. In the worst-case scenario, it could even move ahead with a fifth nuclear test. But even if it does not conduct another nuclear test, tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia are bound to escalate.

Given these considerations, it seems flippant of the South Korean government to respond to the US sanctions by immediately issuing a statement of support.

The fact that Seoul broke out in applause when it ought to have been pondering what will contribute to peace on the Korean peninsula and making a prudent response only goes to show that pressure is the only tool in its toolbox.

If the US wants a real solution to the North Korean nuclear issue, it should waste no time in pursuing dialogue with the North. As long as China is not cooperating, sanctions and pressure alone will not be enough to bring North Korea to the negotiating table, and strong pressure is bound to provoke strong resistance.

If we only rely on sanctions without looking for a more practical approach, time will go by while a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue slips further from our grasp.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]