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This week, the BBC has been reporting from North Korea, one of the world’s most authoritarian and closed-off nations. The headline: its people are suffering from starvation. Unlike its prosperous neighbor, South Korea, which has embraced capitalism, North Korea has experienced famines in the past and relies on China for assistance. However, due to the border closure during the Covid pandemic, the import of Chinese food items has been severely hindered. According to UN experts, North Korea may only be able to provide basic survival-level food to about three-quarters of its population of 26 million this year. The BBC has interviewed people who have witnessed their neighbors dying from hunger in their homes and on the streets. The 1990s famine resulted in the death of over half a million people, and there is a risk of history repeating itself.
What should the British do in response to this crisis beyond offering distant sympathy? Hazel Smith, a Korea expert at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, highlights the fact that when a country prioritizes xenophobic “self-sufficiency” and allocates significant funds to defense, it leads to major economic distortions. Food shortages are deeply ingrained in North Korea’s system. China’s exports to North Korea reportedly dropped by 81% in 2020, resulting in empty shops and widespread poverty.
While the idea of North Korea seeking self-sufficiency may not have been unreasonable, the disastrous tightening of UN sanctions in 2017 exacerbated the situation. These sanctions no longer differentiated between civilian and military needs, extending the ban on nuclear and military materials. This included vital supplies for agriculture, such as oil-based products needed for fertilizers, pesticides, and plastic sheeting. North Korea’s annual fuel consumption is now equivalent to just one day’s consumption in South Korea, leading to a significant decline in food production. Furthermore, the collapse of exports has severely limited North Korea’s ability to purchase food from global markets.
Some proponents of sanctions may argue that the current situation proves that “sanctions are working.” However, tolerating a viciously authoritarian leader like Kim Jong-un and imposing repeated sanctions is not an effective solution. Former imperial powers like Britain, which consider themselves moral authorities, should take action rather than simply offering sympathy. They have the ability to lead the West in demanding alternative approaches to the crisis in North Korea.
The history of sanctions in North Korea is quite telling. They were initially imposed after the war in the 1950s and have been strengthened and tightened over the years due to various incidents. However, there is no evidence to suggest that these sanctions have had any positive impact on the Pyongyang regime. Instead, they have reinforced the government’s siege mentality and increased its reckless behavior. This has not served the interests of the West or neighboring Asian countries.
Like in Cuba, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Afghanistan, sanctions against North Korea have only solidified the power of existing elites and fueled paranoia within the regime. They have weakened a country’s tolerance for dissent and hindered the possibility of any meaningful change. Enthusiasts of sanctions often argue that they need time to work, but these sanctions have failed for half a century.
Most importantly, these crude and long-standing sanctions disproportionately harm the poor and innocent people of the targeted country. In the case of energy sanctions against Russia, they also negatively affect the poor in imposing countries. Sanctions have become another form of global protectionism. It is likely that British taxpayers will be asked to provide food aid to North Korea to alleviate a famine that their governments have inadvertently contributed to for the past six years. While providing aid is necessary, it is important to remember the principle of doing no harm. Sanctions do not bring any good and only cause harm.
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