Japan’s Clever Sanctions Plan
Faced with North Korea’s declaration that it has nuclear weapons, Japan’s Prime Minister performed a deft political kabuki today, urging his bellicose neighbor to join disarmament talks, while letting the clock run on a new law that will bar most North Korean ships from Japanese ports starting March 1.
“I understand calls for imposing sanctions are growing
The New York Times wrote a nice article on the current Japanese – North Korean relationship. It is good to see someone getting serious with North Korea, finally.
An amended Liability for Oil Pollution Damage law requires that all ships over 100 tons calling at Japanese ports carry property and indemnity insurance. A seemingly bland piece of legislation, this law was drafted with North Korea in mind. In 2003, only 2.5 percent of North Korean ships visiting Japan had insurance.
Japan is North Korea’s third largest trading partner, after China and South Korea. The insurance barrier is expected to hit North Korea’s ports on the Sea of Japan, a dilapidated, economically depressed area, far from Pyongyang, the nation’s showcase capital. In recent weeks, only one North Korean ship, a passenger-cargo ferry, is known to have bought insurance.
The insurance barrier will be felt at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market, the world’s largest fish market, where North Korea is a major supplier of snow crabs, sea urchins and short neck clams. For North Korean fishing boats, Japan is the best market in the region.
“It will hurt, it will pinch, it will be felt by North Koreans who are significant,” said Chuck Downs, an American expert on Korea who wrote “Over the Line: North Korea’s Negotiating Strategy.”
Yes, hit them in the pocket book. This should eventually have the effect of restarting the negotiations. It may cause in the short term some more saber rattling and threats of war but the Norks know they cannot win a war. They want to stay in power and need international aid to do it. They will eventually have to negotiate.
