{"id":8338,"date":"2023-12-04T19:30:19","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T18:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northkoreainfo.com\/?p=8338"},"modified":"2023-12-04T19:30:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T18:30:19","slug":"why-north-korea-is-powerful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northkoreainfo.com\/why-north-korea-is-powerful\/","title":{"rendered":"Why North Korea Is Powerful"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Military Strength<\/h2>\n

North Korea is a militarized state, wielding tremendous power despite its limited population and resources. The North Korean military is comprised of five branches, including the Korean People’s Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Strategic Rocket Forces. This military is heavily armed and has impressive capabilities, including some of the world’s deadliest nuclear weapons. North Korea is estimated to possess several hundred missiles, both short and long range, as well as more than 1 million soldiers. It also has access to over 6,500 tanks, 6,000 artillery pieces, and close to 5,000 combat aircraft. The country’s military strength is underscored by its alliances with countries like Russia, China, and Iran, as well as its standing as one of the few countries in the world to possess nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n

Political control<\/h2>\n

The government of North Korea is a powerful one, and it wields its might through its ruling family, the Kims. The current leader, Kim Jong-un, is the son of the late Kim Jong-il and grandson of President Kim Il-sung, the country’s founder. Since coming to power in 2011, Kim Jong-un has further strengthened the country’s control over citizens and visitors by cracking down on dissent, human rights abuses, and other perceived threats to the regime. The country has a policy of ‘Songun’, or ‘military-first’, which places the military at the centre of all decision-making, including economic, political and foreign policy. Moreover, the country’s government is also highly secretive and tightly controlled, denying its citizens access to information, including information about the outside world. These policies have enabled the government to maintain absolute control and to project a sense of power and invincibility.<\/p>\n

National Propaganda<\/h2>\n

Another ingredient to North Korea’s power is the national propaganda and cult of personality that surrounds the Kim family. The government’s messaging relies heavily on idolizing the three generations of the Kim family to rally its people in support of the regime. The Kims are routinely celebrated in mass media, depicted as revered and infallible figures who possess supernatural powers. This messaging has successfully created a cult of personality that binds North Koreans to the country’s leaders and its ideology of juche, or self-reliance. The media also regularly projects a sense of impending crisis and war with the West, which fortifies the notion of a nation under siege by hostile outsiders and that the government is the only means of defense and protection.<\/p>\n

Sanctions<\/h2>\n

Despite its power, North Korea has recently been subject to numerous economic sanctions by the United Nations and other countries as a result of its nuclear activities and other human rights abuses. Despite the sanctions, the country has been able to find ways to maintain a prosperous economy. Through its military-first policy, North Korea has invested heavily in the defence industry, which accounts for a significant portion of its GDP. North Korea has also developed strong ties with China which has provided much of the country’s economic lifeline. The country has used this to its advantage, continuing to ignore external condemnation and sanctions in order to maintain its power.<\/p>\n

Isolation<\/h2>\n