Sanctions Hitting North Korea Hard As Trump Tours Asia

This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Nov. 4, 2017 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visiting the March 16 factory at an undisclosed place. Unprecedented sanctions have crippled the North Korean economy and could intensify, said a senior White House official. STR/AFP/Getty Images

Sanctions currently crippling the North Korean economy could intensify if President Donald Trump succeeds in achieving one of the overarching goals of his current trip through several Asian countries.

The U.S. president’s top priority during his current Asia tour is to strengthen international resolve to denuclearize North Korea, a senior White House official told reporters on Nov. 5.