Civil-Military Relations in the Two Koreas

Abstract

North Korea's civil-military relations were modeled after the Soviet Union; South Korea's after the United States. Comparing both relationships, the author investigates a wide set of variables and finds the critical importance of local adaptation of the models initially introduced by the patron states. In both Koreas, the military has become a dominant political actor. In the north, however, military influence has become easily fused with the power structure headed by its supreme leader, Kim Il-sung; in South Korea, military control has been fragmented, lacking integration into the constructive leadership structure. The American model in South Korea has proven unworkable. Instead, it has created an ambivalent and uncertain relationship between the military and civilian sectors of power. The author maintains that in South Korea as in other developing nations, national development means a total effort. Military and civil powers must not be perceived in a dichotomous but in a judicious mix.