Have financial sanctions worked in anything other than making the people of the country remain poor?
It also supplies a opposing fact to some forms of internal propaganda, especially when tied to a discrete event in the country's foreign policy.
With Russia sanctions are doing some damage right now, even if it hasn’t stopped the war. With North Korea we’ve blown our load and the main casualty is just a destitute population over there.
Actually no, much more could be done against North Korea. A total naval blockade, for example.
Isn't virtually all their trade land trade via China? Short of a land invasion to cut off that border, I don't see how any kind of a blockade makes much of a difference.
Besides, sanctions enforcement turns pretty active when you start prosecuting violators.
It discourages war because of the threat of being cut off.
If you don't actually carry the threat out, it stops being an effective threat.