North Korea: ideology, war and violence

Resumen

This article analyses North Korean ideologies concerning war and violence. For that, first there is a theoretical review of how ideologies are linked with organised violence. Siniša Maleševićʼs theory about the ideologisation of violence in Modernity is reviewed as well as Carl Schmittʼs concept of the political and his later update concerning partisanship. Following the theoretical approaches, there is an analysis of the North Korean ideologies proper, focused on Songun (military-first ideology) and on its counterpart the Chʼongdae (the gun philosophy) and what they stipulate with reference to violence and war. In the conclusion, it states that both Songun and Ch‟ongdae deal with enmity in extremes and are aware of the possibility of war involving North Korea. Even if just for defensive purposes, they call for revolutionary violence. They also serve the purpose of constant mobilisation and legitimisation of war in the country: This way it is always ready for war. Moreover, as both Schmittʼs and Maleševićʼs theoretical approaches would predict, these North Korean ideologies do not seem to be open for compromise, exactly because they deal with absolute enmity and dehumanize their enemies.