Military Influence on North Korea’s Economic Development under “Military-first Politics”

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

From 1998 until 2011, North Korea was ruled by its Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Il, under a system known as “military-first politics.” This era was characterized
by the military’s enhanced role in politics, society, and the economy. While the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) was maintained as the central authority, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and National Defense Committee (NDC) rose in importance and took control of areas well beyond the scope of national defense. What emerged was a separate “military economy” that sought to make the army self sufficient in the face of dwindling government-allocated resources. For despite official funds being funneled into North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs during this time, the country lacked the ability to maintain and equip its enormous standing army. The result was that the military proceeded to take control of several key industries, from farming to construction, using their vast reserves of cheap labor. Abroad, the military became more involved in schemes to earn foreign currency, including through illicit means such as drug trafficking and arms trade. The military also increased its control of trading companies, most of which traded raw minerals and seafood for the hard cash craved by the regime. In the end, the military economy became a massive and crucial part of North Korea’s existence.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction and Background 1
• 1. Purpose of Research 3
• 2. Literature Review 5
• II. What is Military-first Politics? 9
• 1. Origins & Political Implications 9
• 2. Military Influence on Society 18
• 3. The Official Economy under Military-first politics 24
• III. The Military Economy 34
• 1. Domestic activities 37
• 2. Diversion and Corruption 42
• 3. Illicit activities 56
• 4. Trading companies 69
• IV. Conclusion: The Kim Jong Un Era and Prospects for the Future 77
• Works Cited 81
• 국문 초록 87