Will economic sanctions reign in North Korea's nuclear ambitions?
Michael Laver is a history professor and East Asian expert at UW Stevens Point. He points out that the types of sanctions being proposed for North Korea don't really have a very good track record.
The U.S. backed U.N. resolution does not include the use of military force to require ships engaged in North Korean commerce to stop for inspection on the open seas – something the US first sought. That might mean China and Russia will be willing to put pressure on North Korea — something that hasn't happened in the past.
The rest of the region had better hope the sanctions work. Laver says the last thing that China or South Korea wants is a destabilized North Korea — that could mean millions of refugees flooding across their borders, putting an enormous strain on both countries' economies and resources.
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