[imText1]North Korea is responding fiercely against the US financial sanction on North Korea.
North Korea’s Central News Agency on the 25th argued, “If the US truly wants to resume the six-party talks and make progress, it must lift the financial sanction and coexist with us.” It described the financial sanction like a “containing heart (intention) to block our blood vessel.”
On the 21st, Rodong Sinmun published a statement given out by the National Peaceful Unification Committee, which wrote, “The US is trying to blame us for problems we do not even have such as human rights problems and counterfeit money, labeling us as a criminal or dangerous state.”
The financial sanction which froze connections with the foreign banks really stops Kim Jong Il’s money flow. It’s really holding his vital part. For this reason, North Korea’s reaction is a “fierce” one.
North Korea’s fierce reaction is somewhat different from that of the past. Arrogant as it is. It sounds more like a plea. As the number of foreign banks banned from making transactions with North Korea increases, North Korea will face a difficult problem in trade. The money earned from trade include illegal trade, including drugs, medicine, and cigarette smuggling. The only legal trade it makes include minor amounts of agricultural products, natural rocks and coal. The price of such natural resources in the international market is very low. The amount of money North Korea earns from drug sales and counterfeit money is estimated to be 500 million dollars.
If the illegal cash channels are cut, it is same as cutting off the blood vessel of the Kim Jong Il regime.
American Strategy, Adequate and Valid
Kim Kye Gwan, Vice Minister of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the 18th in Beijing, told Christopher Hill, the US Assistant Secretary of State, that North Korea is willing to return to the six-party talks. This is proof that cutting off Kim Jong Il’s money flow is working.
Here, it seems, the US found an important strategy in dealing with North Korea. The Kim Jong Il regime will act rationally when pressured. Without pressure, it does not respect international society’s law or order. This is what Kim Jong Il calls “stubborn diplomacy.” Kim Jong Il teaches his people, “being stubborn is the best method of diplomacy.” Stronger “stubborn diplomacy” will work better with Kim Jong Il.
Unconditional talks and aid would never make Kim Jong Il rational. The current American financial sanction is an adequate and effective strategy.
Kim Jong Il deposits millions of dollars in foreign banks and uses it for his luxurious pleasure-seeking and regime maintenance. He enjoys Hennessey XO Cognac, shark fin stew, luxurious meals, and holding liquor parties. He wastes foreign currency by holding parties as “gifts” for his loyal entourages.
If the money channels are cut, Kim is unable to develop nuclear weapons or buy new weapons. Kim Jong Il has been holding “military-first politics” in one hand and nuclear in the other and maintained the regime while deceiving the international society. In order to tame the Kim Jong Il regime, using pressure is the best way. Kim Jong Il kneels down in front of principles and strong power, which is similar to the “rationale of the mafia.”
