How do sanctions on North Korea protect human rights?

Question

anonymous · Answer

That's debatable. Ideally, sanctions are supposed to leverage North Korea into recognizing human rights and change its stance by cutting off business and money ties to its elite (who enjoy a palacial life in comparison to most around them). It's the economic way of saying "we don't like what you are doing to your people, so we will not do business with you until you change".

What has happened, however, is that when foreign banks cut their ties to the DPRK, they inadvertently cut off supplies of money to aid organizations there that are actually trying to do what they can to support humanitarian goals. A number of aid organizations in the country that transfer money from their home governments via the North Korean banking system have suddenly found themselves starved for funds.