North Korea: A Sanctions Overview

As President Trump embarked on a 13 day tour of Asia he pronounced that "the era of strategic patience [with North Korea] is over" and "all options are on the table". Against this background we look at current sanctions against North Korea and consider their impact.

UN Position

North Korea has been subject to a number of rounds of UN sanctions – most recently in August 2017 when sanctions targeted its export of strategic commodities and again in September 2017. In the latest round, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed UN Security Council Resolution 2375, with the aim of depriving Pyongyang of access to more than $1.3bn in annual revenues. The Resolution stopped short of a complete oil embargo, despite strong US pressure, but was supported by Russia and China. The measures include: