North Korea

Judge: “North Korea will not be excited,”

The United States and China on a draft resolution for sanctions against North Korea agreed. Lars-André Richter assessed the development in an interview with the Deutsche Welle in Seoul.

Deutsche Welle: The UN wants the toughest sanctions since 20 years ago against North Korea to impose. To what extent are the sanctions, North Korea meet?

Lars-André Richter: time will show, we talk first about a draft resolution, which now also the other Council members were to agree. After all, attracting China in the same direction as the USA, so far at least. The question is still: Is it all in the end to be implemented? Sanctions are not New. Only the implementation has always been difficult. If this Time the sanctions will actually be implemented, can be quite the results that you desire.

In what way is it actually to aggravations?

All the ships that the country start or come from there, should be controlled. Previously, it was the only then, if a reasonable suspicion existed, that it is illegal cargo. The Export of weapons is now prohibited. So far, at least allowed small arms and light weapons are exported.And finally, no aircraft – and rocket fuel is more be introduced.

What hits North Korea particularly hard?

The ban on the importation of aviation fuel could be the civil aviation meetings. Also the ban on exports of raw materials such as Rare earths, of which North Korea has many, and in whose case the trade with China flourished, could make itself felt. It was in the last few weeks a surge in exports from North Korea to China. Under the circumstances, this is a sign that North Korea in the run-up to the Ereingisse [of the nuclear and missile tests, Anm. d. Red.] to wanted to make money, what to make money made.

Lars-Andrè judge (second from right) during a visit to North Korea in 2015

You have the Zivilbereich already been addressed. To what extent are the sanctions the population meet, even though they are actually against the Regime?

This is basically sanctions difficult, not only in North Korea but in all countries, the sanctions are imposed. Assess whether the sanctions ultimately, when people arrive, is difficult to achieve.

But the fact is that the previous sanctions of North Korea propaganda very well exploited. If somewhere something does not work, then you could on the sanctions push, on the United States and the United Nations. You have to be clear about it, an Embassy is that of the broad mass of the population will be propagated.

China, commonly regarded as an ally of North Korea, had been almost always reluctant when it comes to Sanktionsverschärfungen of the security Council went. This time it’s different. What does this mean, in particular, as China is now even with the arch-enemy USA speaks?

The real turning point came in 2013 after the recent missile and nuclear test. At that time, China had two Sanktionsrunden in General. That was for the international community as a Surprise. At that time it was already assumed to have been, China would have North Korea to drop, but the implementation of that sanctions is it then difficult. It was certainly not only, but especially in China.

At the end of January 2016 was US Secretary of state Kerry to visit in Beijing. There was the impression that the Chinese Kerry, with a long list of candidates for sanctions came, have let it run. There was even an appropriate explanation from the Chinese side, that no sanctions would agree that North Korea is in serious trouble. So it is actually surprising that China is now panning.

I’m going to assume that North Korea is not with enthusiasm. China was responding, also related to the fact that South Korea and the US is currently about the deployment of a national missile defence debate. This was less a sign of North Korea rather than to China. And it is not excluded that this character is arrived. China wants to have this defense system on the Korean Peninsula have not.

They said that it 2013 at the implement hitch. Do you think it’s better this Time?

Hard to say. Beijing is in a difficult economic situation as 2013. It may be that it is, therefore, more willingness to compromise and will to implement. But predictions can’t. China has its own Agenda, and will ultimately do not dictate to them what to do and not to do.

You can expect a quick response from the side of North Korea?

It is with the safety announcements, but whether it is to new threats comes, will show. North Korea is in a good two months of a significant historical event in the house: the party Congress. Until then, there are several scenarios conceivable. Approximately that of the Congress with further threats to the outside is supported, or that the country is entirely up to the party Congress concentrated and further provocations aside. North Korea is in for many Surprises – in every direction.

Lars-André Richter is the provincial representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Seoul.

The Interview was conducted by Esther fields.