Utilization of Emerging Technologies to Evade WMD-Related Sanctions

The sanctions levied against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are primarily intended to inhibit the growth of the regimes nuclear weapons program. However, the sanctions have not successfully prevented the growth of the regimes nuclear enrichment capabilities nor prevented the research and testing of their long-range missile program. The North Korean government ideology is centered around the principle of Juche, or self-reliance, which has been instrumental in developing their nuclear weapons program. Additive manufacturing (or 3D Printing) is a method which can be utilized by the regime to circumvent sanctions and produce components for their missile program. From this project, it is demonstrated that the regime has the access, the ability and the willingness to utilize 3D printing to achieve their WMD related goals in spite of unilateral and multilateral sanctions.