Asian Angle | Is a full oil embargo against North Korea even possible?
A total cutoff on exports to North Korea could lead to regime collapse in Pyongyang – something Beijing fears more than a nuclear-armed neighbour
Oil has been an important factor in several wars in the modern era.
The US oil embargo against Japan in 1941 led to a Japanese strategic decision that included the attack on Pearl Harbour. Many critics of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 allege the conflict was chiefly about the control of oil supplies.
Washington and Pyongyang appear to be on course for a military clash that could easily escalate into a conflagration endangering the 25 million residents of greater Seoul, which North Korea has repeatedly threatened to destroy if it is attacked. Even if it cannot yet deliver a nuclear weapon, Pyongyang has thousands of artillery guns and rocket launchers close enough to strike Seoul.
Senior Trump administration officials have said the United States will not allow North Korea to acquire a nuclear missile capability, and will resort to a pre-emptive military strike if necessary. But despite these warnings, along with years of punitive sanctions and isolation, Pyongyang seems committed to getting that capability and is perhaps only one or two years away from success.
