The Role of Economic Sanctions in Promoting North Korea's Denuclearization Revisited.

Purpose--This paper aims to evaluate the role of economic sanctions in promoting the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. Design/Methodology--In this research, I will engage with sanctions-related literature to examine the definition of economic sanctions and the way to evaluate the effectiveness of economic sanctions. Next, I will explore economic sanctions against North Korea from the Bush Administration to the Trump Administration. To conduct this research, I will engage with various primary sources such as the UN resolutions, data from the U.S. Department of Treasury, and academic research papers related to sanctions against North Korea. Findings--It is inappropriate to conclude that economic sanctions against North Korea fail to promote North Korea's denuclearization as sanctions cannot produce an immediate impact and pressure on North Korea. Instead, economic sanctions are one of the policy instruments to handle North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. To achieve North Korea's policy change, it is necessary to combine economic sanctions with other policy instruments, identify goals the U.S. wants to achieve, and enhance the enforcement of the sanctions campaign. Practical Implications--This research tries to present the role and effectiveness of economic sanctions on North Korea beyond a dichotomy between "success" and "failure." In addition, this paper concludes with some lessons on economic sanctions against North Korea so that it helps policymakers to understand the role of economic sanctions in promoting the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Originality/Value--This paper tries to explore the role of economic sanctions against North Korea from the Bush to the Trump administration in the United States and the United Nations channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]