I couldn’t help but thinking about North Korea’s “military first” policy when I read this. Korean culture, even in the wealthy Republic of Korea (South Korea), is often characterized as being more Confucian than even China. In North Korea, the government has opted for the view that weapons are more important than both food and the confidence of the people–the exact opposite of Confucius’ sound advice. North Korea’s government has abandoned its political and spiritual Confucian heritage.