Songun Politics and the Political Weakness of the Military in North Korea: An Institutional Account

At the heart of the unexpected regime stability in post–Kim Il-sung Pyongyang is the expanded role of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) as the protector of the regime and the leader, under the slogan of military-first (songun) politics. There is, however, a wide gap between the KPA’s role and its limited political significance. This article examines how Pyongyang’s political systems were designed to enable the leader to firmly control the military and security organizations by focusing on three of the most important institutions related to control over the KPA: the General Political Department, the Central Military Commission, and the National Defense Commission.