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Originally posted by onetime2 Had North Korea been allowed to take South Korea the entire country would be in the same shambles that the North finds itself in now. Instead it's a country that's growing in importance on the world stage with outstanding prospects for the future (as long as Kim Jong doesn't get too much crazier).
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Even though that I agree that living under a juche dictatorship probably is a rather shitty way of life, I can't resist the urge to note that actually after the Korean war the US led UN troops didn't exactly put up a democratic south - a fact that is surprisingly often forgotten. Also South Korea was ruled first autocratically, had little political freedoms, until the 80s. Just another proof that (successful) capitalism and democracy don't necessarily march hand in hand. Maybe Iraq will also be an economical free trade zone of Iraq ruled despotically for the next 30 years?
As for the importance of South Korea, I'm afraid it hasn't really been the same since the economical collapse of the eastern tigers.