Nautilus Institute Alexander V. Vorontsov 6/8/2006 The “Songun Chongch’i” or military-first politics mantra adopted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as a guideline for domestic governance and foreign policy has elicited mostly negative responses from Korea-watchers. Many view songun as the final phase in the deterioration of North Korea and a serious threat to neighboring … Continue reading North Korea’s Military-First Policy: A Curse or a Blessing