Military Influence on North Koreas Economic Development under Military-first Politics

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 militarys enhanced role in politics, society, and the economy. While the Workers Party of Korea (WPK) was maintained as the central authority, the Korean Peoples 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 Koreas 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 Koreas existence.