The U.S. and South Korea have launched a new task force to counter North Korea’s illicit efforts to procure fuel in support of its nuclear weapons program, the allies announced this week, in what one expert described as an attempt to compensate for the failing DPRK sanctions regime.

The Enhanced Disruption Task Force will aim to expose DPRK sanctions evasion, review options for autonomous sanctions designations and engage private sector and third-party actors who aid the regime’s smuggling operations, according to the U.S. State Department and ROK foreign ministry.

U.S. Deputy Special Representative for the DPRK Lyn Debevoise and