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Trung Duong
Professor Otsuji
English 1A
29 November 2014
Songun – The Double­edged Sword
North Korea has known to be the most mysterious country in the world. Because
North Korea is a communist country and is the only remaining Stalinist state, it maintains many strict policies. Songun, which is also known as “Military first” policy, is considered as a “double­edged sword” since it has many favorable and unfavorable sides. While the policy has guaranteed the nation’s security, it has also made the nation to pursue the nuclear program that threatens the world’s peace; furthermore, spending too much fund on military has caused famines which tortures the indigenous people. The reasons that keep the negative policy being maintained are the leader’s dictatorship and the blindly obedient North Korean civilians. By analyzing these causes and effects of the Songun policy, we can take a deeper look at the mysterious country and find the solution toward the nation.
At the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two occupied zones, with the northern half of the country occupied by the Soviet Union and the southern half by the United States. North Korea, officially Democratic People’s Republic Of Korea, has Pyongang as the capital and has been ruled under Kim’s family since its establishment Leader Kim Jong Il adopted the Songun policy after President Kim Il
Sung's death. The Songun or “Military first” gives the top priority to the military and uses

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military as an essence of political success (Lee A9). The Songun policy was even empowered when Kim Jong Il visited the Dabakson post in 1995.
Because of the top priority of the military, the developments and the tests of nuclear weapon have made North Korea becomes a threat toward the world’s peace.
Spending on the army is a priority in North Korea, whose nuclear and missile programmes are considered a fear to regional and world stability (Bill). The high development of the nuclear programmes has made the situation worse. North Korea continues a new form of nuclear test by using uranium instead of plutonium (“NK’s deepening isolation” 17). The highly enrichment of uranium will possibly lead into the creation of nuclear weapon, which frightens The United States (Bill).
Even though it cannot feed its people, North Korea has joined the ranks of countries with the money and determination to build and launch a long­range rocket and put a satellite into orbit (North
Korea's Latest Provocation
). The development of nuclear technologies has been a concern toward many countries, no matter the distance. Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs appeared to be potential threat to South Korea and Japan and also a direct threat to the security of the America (“NK’s deepening isolation” 17). Not only cause the external influence, North Korea will absolutely gain nothing but deepen its own isolation
(17). Moreover, North Korea's willingness and ability to seek outside help has been narrow because of its endless hot and cold war with South Korea has soured relations with much of the rest of the world (“Hope for NK” 20). Furthermore, North Korea threat was condemned by its aggressive action:

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North Korea has regularly threatened to assail the government in South Korea.
But in recent weeks, its threat has become more specific and harsher, urging some analysts to warn that North Korea's new leadership might provoke a military provocation as part of its attempt to establish Mr. Kim's authority and potentially boost his negotiating leverage with the United States (Choe 7)
Putting too much fund into military has cause famines to happen. Lacking of manpower, internal and external problem, plus the lasting natural disasters, all contribute to the starvation. Many proofs of starvation have been exposed, New York Times’ report is no exception:
Because of the reducing of internal production, food imports and