North Korea Sanctions
Target: North KoreaSince 2006 (20 years)Active — Maximum Pressure
$100M
Est. Economic Impact
2006
First Imposed
20 yrs
Active Duration
Overview
Multilateral sanctions targeting North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. The most isolated economy on Earth faces UN Security Council sanctions, US secondary sanctions, and near-total trade restrictions.
Impact
North Korea's formal economy is devastated, with GDP estimated at $28 billion. However, the regime has developed sophisticated sanctions evasion through cryptocurrency theft ($1.7B stolen in 2022), ship-to-ship oil transfers, and overseas forced labor.
Key Fact
Despite decades of maximum sanctions, North Korea has conducted 6 nuclear tests and developed ICBMs capable of reaching the US mainland. Sanctions have not achieved denuclearization.