[Billthedrill]

This is essentially international sanction for a naval blockade. Of course, North Korean ships carrying other than weapons technology are free to pass but they're not exactly an exporting nation other than the shoe factories, etc, that the South has built under the "Sunshine Policy." Nor is it unprecedented - as John Carey pointed out in another thread the Spanish have already intercepted a ship with NK weapons bound for the Middle East.

Of course the UN depends on member nations' armed forces to enforce this resolution. They haven't any of their own and thank God for that. The real key is the cooperation of the Chinese with respect to the only land route out of North Korea. With that cooperation Kim is essentially isolated, without it the Chinese have the potential to act as they did in the Korean war - a middle-man who gets his cut off the top. This is likely to cost them more in both the short and long runs than it will benefit them - they don't need Kim's technology as they did the Soviet technology half a century ago.

Kim's only real option at the moment is to squeal like a pig and issue thunderous threats to all concerned, and to escalate the tension along the Southern border with the commando raids the North has been practicing for that same half a century. Seoul and its environs may have some difficult times ahead.

[maquiladora]

It's a good point. Kim is running out of options on the ladder of escalating provocations.

He will now probably try and generate an even graver crisis in the hope of the US caving into emergencey bilateral talks. He's tried it with walking away from the six party talks, test firing long/medium range missiles and now testing a nuclear weapon. The only thing left for him to try now is to begin posturing for an attack on the South or Japan in the hope of the US jumping in at the last minute for talks rather than risk conflict.