North Korea

Reuters/AP/AFP are reporting that President Xi is making his visit to Seoul instead of Pyongyang, which is a first.

Wow. That is very pointed, to say the least.

Seoul would chart it's own course if it wasn't for those pesky Norks. If Clinton's 90's era fantasy had played out and North Korea folded like East Germany, A unified Korea would have been like Finland or Switzerland. Except when it comes to Japan.

But sure as eggs is eggs, evidence is evidence and every odd numbered Star Trek movie is crap, the Norks hung on.

Isn't it the case that Seoul is charting its own course, and has been doing so since the 90s at the very least? South Korea is no longer defined as North Korea's opposite Western puppet, it's a regional and world power and one of the richest countries in the world to boot. The North stamps its feet as much as it can, but I can't imagine that it occupies every waking moment of the SK government.

edited 4th Jul '14 2:05:13 PM by pagad

Only what goes on with Scuds and the DMZ. If the North had gone like the DDR, the South would have kicked ALL US forces out and would have been too busy trying to put "best Korea" back together.

The South is a vibrant economy and not the US's puppet. But we're linked in many ways. The North is very much a puppet that China sees as not worth the cost. At least the South wants nothing to do with China other than trade. Not to mention they both have a beef with Japan, so there's that common ground.

During the Cold War, South Korea was hardly a model of democracy (heckva job there USA). After the transition to democracy, the South wanted to go it's own way but wasn't as strong as it is now. If it wasn't for China and North Korea, the South would be doing it's own thing really. They have no major beef with Russia.

If the situation was reversed and the North was just like the Kim family's Imagine Spot, "Best Korea" would try to redraw the map in their favor. China is No True Scotsman for many Dirty Communists out there. It must rub them raw that China is rich and the USSR is no more and the South is waaaay better off.

I wonder if we could argue that NK is technically a theocracy now.

That's an interesting question, but I'd say no. Yes, the religious leader of the nation is the leader of the country, but the religion was invented to justify the monarchy.

Yeah, it's not a state run by a religion, it's a state that effectively practices emperor/ancestor worship ala the Romans mixed with totalitarian fervor.

edited 4th Jul '14 3:49:17 PM by Rationalinsanity

Cultocracy?

Cult of Personality

South Korea is also the largest steel producer in the world, which have been sending domestic steel producers scrambling and asking for tariffs.

ONE of the largest. India, China, US, EU, Japan all outproduce SK in steel.

I have a hard time believing it's the largest steel producer. Not everything's based on size, but they really don't have the territory required to have that kind of iron ore.

Also Russia.

South Korea is 6th, behind the countries just mentioned.

Though fun fact, China alone produces almost half the world's steel.

Yeah, I was pretty sure China led. Regardless, US heavy industry's been in some trouble for a while now—nothing really new there.

My list was in no particular order, I should note.

Speaking of industries, what about the joint complex run between the two? I know KJU shut it down for awhile a year or so back for a good bit, but is production back to pre-crisis levels? Any chance it'll be expanded upon? Would be an interesting avenue to lead NK to at least China style reforms in the economy. Maybe.

I've seen it, not that impressive as factories go, for the North it's a lifeline. It gets shutdown every time the Kim family throws a tantrum.

I know how it is now, just wondering, since the shutdown, the future of the facility.

Well, North Korea has banned choco-pies from KIZ because they are too popular with the Northern workers and are now black market must-haves.

It recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, and Arirang had decent coverage of it. I think it'll stay around for the moment.

Japan has lifted some sanctions after Pyongyang announced that they'll do investigation to "make sure" that all abducted Japanese nationals have been accounted for.

So we're going to defeat Best Korea with delicious sweets?

I'm down for it.

...
North Korea: An enemy actually defeat-able using Hostess Fruit Pies.

Nah. What you need is the Milk Tray Man.

We should just start dropping truckloads of hostess products on North Korea using B-2's.

That would be beautiful.