Individual-1 administration sanctions 3 North Korean officials

Because North Korea is already so heavily sanctioned and the three men are not likely to have U.S. assets that could be frozen, the action is largely symbolic.

For the last five years, the United Nations Security Council held a session on International Human Rights Day to discuss the regime's abuses, which the U.N. has documented in detail -- including prison camps, forced labor, extrajudicial killings, rape, starvation, and censorship. This year, however, the U.S. did not win enough votes among Security Council members to hold the session again on Monday.

There have yet to be working-level meetings between the two countries, with North Korea refusing to meet one-on-one with Pompeo's special representative for North Korea, Steve Biegun, since he started in August. Maxwell said he's hopeful Biegun and his team will raise the issue -- whenever he finally gets the chance to do so.