▁un pre ced ented ▁t ough ▁san ctions ▁primarily ▁aim ed ▁at ▁restrict ing ▁c ash ▁flows ▁into ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁und erm ine ▁its ▁nuclear ▁war head ▁and ▁long - range ▁miss ile ▁development , ▁and ▁con str ict ▁Py ong y ang ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁pay ▁( and ▁retain ▁the ▁loyal ty ▁of ) ▁its ▁party ▁el ites , ▁security ▁forces , ▁and ▁military . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁Lee ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁W arm b ier ▁v . ▁D PR K ▁trial ▁in ▁Washington ▁D . C . ▁as ▁an ▁expert ▁witness ▁for ▁the ▁pro sec ution . ▁The ▁judge ▁ruled ▁against ▁the ▁D PR K , ▁in ▁the ▁tort ure , ▁host age ▁taking , ▁and ▁extra jud icial ▁killing ▁of ▁Otto ▁W arm b ier . ▁ ▁Policy ▁views ▁on ▁North ▁Korea ▁ ▁Lee ▁has ▁advoc ated ▁for ▁a ▁strategy ▁of ▁stern ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁government , ▁while ▁eng aging ▁the ▁North ▁Korean ▁people . ▁That ▁includes ▁economic ▁pressure ▁aim ed ▁at ▁the ▁el ite , ▁especially ▁target ing ▁its ▁palace ▁economy ▁that ▁depends ▁on ▁ill ic it ▁activities ▁including ▁pro l ifer ation , ▁sm ugg ling , ▁counter fe iting , ▁and ▁money ▁la und ering . ▁It ▁also ▁means ▁avail ing ▁substantial ▁human itar ian ▁aid , ▁provided ▁it ▁reaches ▁the ▁intended ▁recip ients , ▁increasing ▁efforts ▁to ▁dis sem inate ▁more ▁information ▁from ▁the ▁outside ▁world ▁into ▁North ▁Korea , ▁facil it ating ▁defe ctions