International Isolation and Regional Inequality: Evidence from Sanctions on North Korea

This paper examines how regional inequality evolves when a country becomes increasingly isolated from economic sanctions. I hypothesize three channels: regional favoritism by the ruling elites, reallocation of commerce that reflects the change in relative trade costs, and import substitution. Using nighttime lights from North Korea, I find that the capital city, trade hubs near China, and manufacturing cities become relatively brighter when sanctions increase. However, production shifts away from capital-intensive goods, deterring industrial development. The results imply that despite the intention to target the ruling elites, sanctions increase regional inequality at a cost to the already marginalized hinterlands.