The film The Interview may be losing steam at the box office, but the political drama surrounding the Sony Pictures hack continues.

Late last week, the US issued new economic sanctions against 10 senior North Korean officials and the intelligence agency it said was the source of "many of North Korea's major cyberoperations."

North Korea denied any involvement in the hacking yesterday and added any sanctions would only strengthen resolve to pursue its "military first" policy.

But the sanctions from the US may be more symbolic in a larger conflict over regional control, said David Kang, professor of international relations and business at the University of Southern California.