SEOUL ? North Korea?s ?military-first? policy ? in which the armed forces receive top priority in funding, planning and everything else ? will continue under the untested leadership of Kim Jong Eun, according to statements in the state-controlled media.
Kim was named the heir to power in North Korea by his father, the late Kim Jong Il, whose 17-year reign was defined by ?Songun,? the policy that said building a strong military was the Stalinist nation?s first ? and perhaps only ? goal.
The elder Kim developed tanks and long-range artillery on par with those in far richer and more technologically advanced South Korea. He moved 700,000 of North Korea?s 1.2 million troops within 90 miles of the peninsula?s demilitarized zone. Members of the military were given preferential treatment, receiving larger food rations and better educations for their children, according to defectors.
Under the leadership of Kim Jong Eun, this military-first revolution ?will be given steady continuity at all times,? the Korean Central News Agency said Monday. The state-run newspaper published an editorial over the weekend headlined: ?Korean people will accomplish the cause of Songun under leadership of Kim Jong Eun.?
The embrace of Songun underscores the challenge that Kim Jong Eun ? who was tapped as heir-apparent only months before his father?s death ? faces he tries to cement the loyalty of the nation?s senior military leaders. Those elite officials appear for now to be Kim Jong Eun?s most important backers. But they could quickly turn into his most direct threat, if the young leader pushes for reforms or wants to prioritize spending on something other than the military.
?Conflicts will begin when powerful people feel their interests are not being guaranteed anymore,? said Ryoo Kihl-jae, a professor at Seoul?s University of North Korean Studies.
During his reign, Kim Jong Il told North Koreans that military might and nuclear weapons would protect the Stalinist nation, and socialism in general, from imperialist U.S. forces.
But the strategy also held more practical goals: It gave his poor and hungry country sway on the international stage. The perpetual war footing allowed North Korea a convenient ?crisis? excuse for its economic problems. And, for Kim himself, the military?s backing and endless displays of loyalty helped maintain his personality cult and hold on power.
?My power comes from the military,? Kim told South Korean journalists in 2000 (he reportedly enjoyed watching videos of military parades while aboard his bulletproof train).
The North Korean military is also virtually ?coup-proof,? top experts say. Kim Jong Il created a system where information landed on his desk and orders came from his office; units were rarely allowed to talk to one another, preventing them from coordinating any revolt against the government.
Kim himself approved promotion of all officers from battalion level and higher, grading them on loyalty, according to a 2004 report from North Korean military expert Joseph Bermudez.
Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=af24bee9aced9e794dc7363398097e4a
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