Publication Date
Fall 2025
School
Helms School of Government
Major
Government: International Studies
Keywords
North Korea, Sanction Evasion, China, Russia, Maritime Sanction Evasion
Recommended Citation
Rasnake, Kaeli, "Networks for Survival: North Korea’s Systematic Evasion of International Sanctions" (2025). Senior Honors Theses. 1550.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1550
Abstract
This paper aims to address the evolution and methodologies of North Korea’s sanction evasion tactics. The nation’s ability to maintain its economy sustains its capacity to pose a threat to the United States and its allies. This paper has identified four major networks that North Korea utilizes to survive, which include sanctions evasion tactics, partnerships with China, Russia, and the Developing World. The study utilizes a qualitative research methodology to analyze and assess the behaviors and interactions at play. This paper concludes that foreign policy towards North Korea centered on sanctions is not enough, as North Korea has proven it can bypass these hindrances and has created itself a microeconomy. The doors are now shut for a direct pathway to counteract North Korea; there are only tradeoffs, deterrence measures, and pressure that call for action on a multinational scale.
