Tomorrow, North Korea celebrates Songun day and, in this column, I would like to speak about the history of this concept and how it, essentially, lost all of its meaning over time.
The word Songun (선군, 先軍) did not exist in the Korean language until 1997. It literally means “military first”: “first”, not in the sense of first, second and third, but in the sense of it being given the utmost priority.
Tomorrow, North Korea celebrates Songun day and, in this column, I would like to speak about the history of this concept and how it, essentially, lost all of its meaning over time.
The word Songun (선군, 先軍) did not exist in the Korean language until 1997. It literally means “military first”: “first”, not in the sense of first, second and third, but in the sense of it being given the utmost priority.
Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks
-
Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations,
analysis
-
Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period
-
The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in
the loop
-
Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
-
Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting,
investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe
now
All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.