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North Korea DEFENSE INDUSTRY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The chuch'e ideology's emphasis on a self-sufficient
state also extends to military industry and sustainability. The
Four Military Guidelines calls for a military force capable of
operating for an extended period without external support or
intervention.
For its level of technological and economic development,
North Korea has developed an impressive military-industrial
complex and is nearly self-sufficient in military production.
However, because overall technological levels are low, the
military is incapable of producing aircraft, sophisticated
radars, or electronic equipment. But P'yongyang has been
successful when it assigns priority resources to specific
projects.
North Korea is believed to have stockpiled enough ammunition,
food, and petroleum, oil, and lubricants in hardened, underground
facilities to sustain combat for several months without outside
aid. According to Seoul, by 1989 P'yongyang had stockpiled some
990,000 tons of ammunition--an amount sufficient for four months
of combat. It is also believed that despite food and energy
shortages in the late 1980s and early 1990s, North Korea
maintains significant national stockpiles for emergency military
use.
Data as of June 1993
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