North Korea

[Dark Ritual]

Why does China support them?

1. They want to be THE Asian superpower.
2. A united Korea would make #1 harder to achieve.
3. North Korea collapsing would result in American troops on the ground.
4. Up until the 1980s the two countries shares a communist ideology.
5. North Korea is always a nice bargaining chip when dealing with America, give us what we want and we'll pacify them.

#3 is an odd one though, surely a unified Korea would remove the necessity for US bases in the Korean peninsula.

They'd still keep the bases around. The US has bases everywhere in the world, so a united Korea would actually more likely mean they'd place a couple more in the northern area, which would then be right on China's Southern Border. A unified Korea under the south would also allow for better naval strategic positions. If North Korea did collapse, you'd most likely see China and Russia push to keep a seperate North Korea but with democratic elections or something like that, rather than total re-unification.

That's pretty much what I always thought, I think a separate capitalist North Korea would be the best solution for all parties.

Maybe. I mean it'd be fascinating to see what happens if the dictatorship totally collapsed. There's absolutely no other political parties that exist and it's a country that's been totally cut off from the world beforehand. While there have been other dicatorships where regimes have collapsed, there isn't one like North Korea.

Now that you mention it, reunification would be a very weird prospect for the SK Government. You're essentially taking in millions of people who are essentially decades behind the rest of your nation, most likely with a lot of residual hatred on one side, maybe both.

[NickSCFC]

What does your average NK citizen think of the outside world? Do they think we're living in poverty and they are the lucky ones?

I think a lot of them do but there's a growing section that are now aware that they're living in a gooseberry fool hole and we're not. They're picking it up mostly via smuggled USB drives loaded with TV shows and films from outside NK.

Yeah it seems a lot messier than the authorities want to outside world to believe. Apparently a lot of them are big fans of South Korean dramas (videos traded with Chinese at the border. They also pick up Chinese TV and radio since the population is China's border towns is growing. Some have mobile phones and are in regular contact with the outside world.

If the North Koreans believed all the propaganda bullshit there'd be no need for all the prison camps.

You'd find it hard to believe, but in the 1960s North Korea was a developed country while South Korea was a poverty-stricken shithole with regular presidential assassinations.

[NickSCFC]

Pretty cool documentary on the history of South Korea



I find it fascinating that South Korea could go from being something out of an Oxfam advert to the most technologically advanced country in the world in the space of 50 years.

[Pontius Pilate]

Unification won't happen. South Koreans won't have it. I've met a handful of people that support unification, but they were idealistic christian types. Millions of North Koreans rushing to Seoul would completely destroy the economy that they've worked so hard to make what it is today.

[PCCD]

I'd have thought there'd be a nationalist element that'd want unification at any cost

[Dark Ritual]

I think it's a case that the older generation is for it, but the younger isn't. Probably because at this point, the younger generation don't have that feeling of having families split apart and of being that singular nation at all. Even if they did reunify, the economic repercussions would be significant and long-lasting. Eastern Germany is still lagging way behind the western half still, economically speaking.

[Pontius Pilate]

Sure, they'd like to see their brothers and sisters freed. In an ideal world. But nationalism is not practical. Plus, that whole generation is going to pass by soon, leaving behind a new generation of SK who see the Northies as distant relatives. Distant relatives who strawberry floating hate the South.

[1cmanny1]

This is making me want to play Mercenaries again.

[Alvin Flummux]

Re-unification that doesn't destroy all that South Korea is and has worked so hard to become would take prolonged negotiations between the PRC, the DPRK, the USA, SK, Japan and Russia. It would need to be carefully planned out, and a terrific amount of manpower, money, and political will would be needed to make the transition from dictatorship to China-friendly democracy as easy as possible. It would probably take several decades from start to finish.

[Parksey]

I can't see what the South Koreans gain from unification, bar an idealised sense of doing right by their neighbours. They have it too sweet down there now - in fact the only thing that threatens them really is the North (and maybe their aging population and low birth rate).

China wouldn't want it either. It would increase the South Korean nation and, possibly, American presence. I think they would rather have a "mini-China" down there - not as backwards and dictatorial as it is now, but now as Western-friendly as SK. A country not unlike China were a while back would suit them. They'd have an ally still and be able to influence their smaller, poor neighbour, but they wouldn't be as much of a blight on them.

Saying that, China aren't probably bothered at all by NK. They aren't ever going to threaten China with anything. They aren't bad, as far as political allies go (from a Chinese perspective). The Russians don't seem to mind either.

What do the Japanese think, out of interest? Never seen their viewpoint mentioned.

[Pontius Pilate]

The Japanese already have the fists clenched with regards to China. A fallen NK would most likely see Japan and China come as close to war as ever before.

[1cmanny1]

Didn't Japan actually declare war on China before?

[Alvin Flummux]

Didn't Japan actually declare war on China before?

After WW2?

[John Galt]

Clearly we wants this to make him look strong but I only see the opposite.

To me this execution looks like the action of a weak leader. He is doubtful of his ability to hang onto the job due to lacking the necessary attributes, thanks to his pampered upbringing, so he has taken the action of eliminating his biggest potential rival before he comes a real threat. If he was any good as a leader he would not have to go to such extremes.

I don't think Mr Kim is the brightest crayon in the box. What's worrying for the rest of the world is how the irrationality of this moron will play out if really pushed to the limits - i.e. would he nuke Washington just to prove how much of a hard man he is?

Why does China support them?

1. They want to be THE Asian superpower.
2. A united Korea would make #1 harder to achieve.
3. North Korea collapsing would result in American troops on the ground.
4. Up until the 1980s the two countries shares a communist ideology.
5. North Korea is always a nice bargaining chip when dealing with America, give us what we want and we'll pacify them.

Trade is also a big reason. China get a lot of natural resources from The North and I imagine the trade terms are fairly favourable, given that they are the only country willing/able to trade with them on such a large scale.

What does your average NK citizen think of the outside world? Do they think we're living in poverty and they are the lucky ones?

I think a lot of them do but there's a growing section that are now aware that they're living in a gooseberry fool hole and we're not. They're picking it up mostly via smuggled USB drives loaded with TV shows and films from outside NK.

There was an article on BBC the last time NK did something stupid, I think from someone who had lived there for a while (Possible this book). Most people are aware of what's going on in neighbouring countries, through the methods mentioned above, but aren't in a position to do anything about it. The country's army is huge in comparison to its population so an uprising or rebellion would only work if the army itself got involved.

[BTB]

I find NK pretty interesting, especially with some of the rumours/stories you hear. Difficult to know if all of it is true. Read Nothing To Envy which was a real eye opener and I've got Escape from camp 14 on my 'to read' list.

Camp 14 has a comical Google+ page -https://plus.google.com/app/basic/117335587942072521640/about?gl=uk&hl=en&source=apppromo

[Moggy]

Clearly we wants this to make him look strong but I only see the opposite.

To me this execution looks like the action of a weak leader. He is doubtful of his ability to hang onto the job due to lacking the necessary attributes, thanks to his pampered upbringing, so he has taken the action of eliminating his biggest potential rival before he comes a real threat. If he was any good as a leader he would not have to go to such extremes.

I don't think Mr Kim is the brightest crayon in the box. What's worrying for the rest of the world is how the irrationality of this moron will play out if really pushed to the limits - i.e. would he nuke Washington just to prove how much of a hard man he is?

Why does China support them?

1. They want to be THE Asian superpower.
2. A united Korea would make #1 harder to achieve.
3. North Korea collapsing would result in American troops on the ground.
4. Up until the 1980s the two countries shares a communist ideology.
5. North Korea is always a nice bargaining chip when dealing with America, give us what we want and we'll pacify them.

Trade is also a big reason. China get a lot of natural resources from The North and I imagine the trade terms are fairly favourable, given that they are the only country willing/able to trade with them on such a large scale.

What does your average NK citizen think of the outside world? Do they think we're living in poverty and they are the lucky ones?

I think a lot of them do but there's a growing section that are now aware that they're living in a gooseberry fool hole and we're not. They're picking it up mostly via smuggled USB drives loaded with TV shows and films from outside NK.

There was an article on BBC the last time NK did something stupid, I think from someone who had lived there for a while (Possible this book). Most people are aware of what's going on in neighbouring countries, through the methods mentioned above, but aren't in a position to do anything about it. The country's army is huge in comparison to its population so an uprising or rebellion would only work if the army itself got involved.

I don't know if this is the one you are on about, but it is an interesting article on the smuggling of stuff inside North Korea.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22383586

[NickSCFC]

Chinese people's attitudes towards North Korea differ with each generation. Older people tend to support North Korea, while younger Chinese love K-pop and think North Korea is a joke.

[Curls]

I think giving NK to China as a new province wouldn't be a bad shout.

[NickSCFC]

I think giving NK to China as a new province wouldn't be a bad shout.

Yes, because China really needs 40 million new poor people.

[Qikz]

The Japanese already have the fists clenched with regards to China. A fallen NK would most likely see Japan and China come as close to war as ever before.

Japan wouldn't ever declare war on China purely for one reason. America.

America are not stupid enough to go to war with China and after WW2 America basically stripped Japan of all it's military power outside of the JSDF. Japan have nowhere near an army large enough to defend itself, let alone go to war. I think at this point, atleast I hope that at this point another world war is very unlikely to happen. Russia is now sitting pretty in the EU and China are buddying up slowly with cultures outside of it's own and the US due to their now incredibly economy through exporting.

The only places that are really at any threat of going to war is the poverty striken countries with governments left behind by America and the EU in Africa and the middle east. The bigger countries in the world are no where near stupid enough to go to war with each other anymore, well I hope so anyway.

After the death toll of not only WW1 but WW2 I would hope to whatever diety or scientific thing I could to stop that happening again, with more advanced weaponry now, I fear combat on the scale of WW2 would be a hell of a lot more brutal than it was before.