The world was amazed by the dramatic joint entrance of athletes from North and South Korea at the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games. Global audiences were further stunned to see U.S. Vice President Mike Pence seated just feet away from Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, in the VIP box at the Olympic stadium.  

But these powerful optics did not come cheap. They were the result of immense political capital spent by South Korea, which coordinated with the U.S. and the international community to secure exemptions to get around sanctions regulations