{"id":53548,"date":"2018-02-02T14:12:18","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T14:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/02\/should-the-us-enforce-a-naval-blockade-against-north-korea\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:09:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:09:50","slug":"should-the-us-enforce-a-naval-blockade-against-north-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/02\/02\/should-the-us-enforce-a-naval-blockade-against-north-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Should the US enforce a naval blockade against North Korea?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/atype-video-jwplayer>
Admiral John Richardson, the Chief of Naval Operations, discusses a new fleet schedule during an all-hands call in Japan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

The U.S. needs to mount a naval blockade to interdict sanction-evading North Korean ships and put greater pressure on the rogue regime to back off nuclear weapons development<\/a>, military and foreign policy experts told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea isn\u2019t a new one. In September, the U.S. sought support from the United Nations<\/a> to use \u201call necessary measures\u201d to go after North Korean ships, to include boarding North Korean ships for inspections or even forming a naval blockade of the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged U.S. allies to help pressure North Korea and emphasized the United States\u2019 right to \u201cinterdict maritime traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At issue are allegations that Russian officials are helping the North Korean regime undercut sanctions on imports and exports by performing refueling and loading operations at sea, rather than tracking those activities at port, which is the standard method for maritime trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\t