Sanctions have been a regular feature of life in North Korea, starting in the 1950s when the US first imposed sanctions. The initial economic sanctions started to ease in the 1990s only to be re-imposed when North Korea withdrew from the NPT in 2003. Then, following the first nuclear test in 2006, the sanctions became increasingly restrictive. The focus of the sanctions has shifted over the years from weaponry to economy and finally to imports of energy. The session will examine the effect of the sanctions in various countries’ perspectives and the following questions will be addressed: Have sanctions been effective? If yes, why? How have they been monitored? How do the sanctions influence people in North Korea? Have the sanctions put pressure on Chairman Kim Jong Un enough to make him want to sit down at the negotiation table?