| Songun | |
_1_1.jpg) North Korean propaganda art promoting Songun. The Korean text reads, "Long live the great victory of Songun!" | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | |
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Seon-gun jeongchi |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏn'gun chŏngch'i |
| Literally "military-first politics" | |
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 North Korea portal |
Songun (Korean: 선군) is the "military-first" policy of North Korea, prioritizing the Korean People's Army in the affairs of state and allocation of resources. "Military-first" as a principle guides political and economic life in North Korea, with "military-first politics" dominating the political system; "a line of military-first economic construction" acting as an economic system; and "military-first ideology" serving as the guiding ideology.
Songun elevates the Korean People's Army within North Korea as an organization and as a state function, granting it the primary position in the North Korean government and society. It guides domestic policy and international interactions.[1] It is the framework for the government, designating the military as the "supreme repository of power". The government grants the Korean People's Army the highest economic and resource-allocation priority and positions it as the model for society to emulate.[2] Songun represents the ideological concept behind a shift in policies since 1994 which emphasize the people's military over all other aspects of state and society.
- ^ Alexander V. Vorontsov (26 May 2006). "North Korean Military-first policy: A curse or a blessing?". Brookings Institution. Retrieved 26 March 2007.
- ^ "Jae Kyu Park, "North Korea since 2000 and prospects for Inter Korean Relations"". Korea.net. 19 January 2006. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.