According to this report on the BBC website, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced today that the United States is preparing new economic sanctions against North Korea. The new sanctions are clearly a response to a report blaming North Korea for sinking a South Korean naval vessel with a torpedo.

[Secretary Clinton] said the measures would target Pyongyang’s sale and purchase of arms and import of luxury goods, and would help prevent nuclear proliferation.

An international inquiry blamed North Korea for sinking the Cheonan warship in March, with the loss of 46 lives, but Pyongyang has denied any involvement.

Speaking at a news conference in Seoul, Mrs Clinton said the measures would increase Washington’s ability to “prevent North Korea’s proliferation, to halt their illicit activities that help fund their weapons programmes, and to discourage further provocative actions.”

It is less than entirely clear how exports of cognac and mink stoles to North Korea assist the Norks in developing nuclear weapons unless, of course, Kim Jong-il provides moral support to his nuclear engineers by getting tanked on Rémy and prancing around Pyongyang* wearing a mink stole.

It’s equally unclear what Secretary Clinton is contemplating here. Under section 746.4 of the Export Administration Regulations, exports of most U.S. origin items to North Korea require an export license. Most items are subject to a licensing policy of case-by-case review except for luxury items (and arms and materiel), which are subject to a general policy of denial. Perhaps the idea is to expand the list of examples of luxury items. But I have a prediction, which you can probably figure out. What’s missing from this list?

(f) Electronic items, as follows:

(1) Flat-screen, plasma, or LCD panel televisions or other video monitors or receivers (including high-definition televisions), and any television larger than 29 inches; DVD players

(2) Personal digital assistants (PDAs)

(3) Personal digital music players

(4) Computer laptops

Do you see what’s missing? It’s the gadget of the moment — the iPad. If Kim Jong-il can’t get an iPad without renouncing nuclear proliferation, well, it’s going to be bye-bye Taep’o-dong and hello iBooks app.

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*For readers that are thinking of forming a rock band, “Prancing around Pyongyang” would make an excellent name for the group. Permalink

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