Why 'Maximum Pressure' on North Korea Will Only Strengthen the Regime

In denying the population access to basic goods, sanctions may be assisting in cementing the regime's grip on power. A state infamous for its propaganda and control on all information available to its citizens, the regime is able to spin its economic hardships into a patriotic tale of a nation oppressed by the American imperialist machine.

This is an effect known as the 'rally around the flag ' - the North Korean state can blame the poverty endured by its people on the West and its sanctions, thus driving up support for the regime's militant anti-West policy. Essentially, sanctions may be giving the Kim regime all the power it needs to maintain its firm grasp on control.