Yes this is grossly oversimplistic, but I would be happy to get feedback on helping to iron this out.
2013: The Korean Crisis
China's political situation was not well to say the least. The fact that a high-ranking politician, a presidential candidate even, would be found guilty of not just covering up a murder committed by his wife, but be connected to the murderer of a fellow politician and political rival as a result of said politician attempting to leverage the information found out through blackmail was... shocking. It was not just shocking, but earth shaking for the people of China and for the Communist Party ruling over China. The entire ordeal ripped wide open calls for investigations of corruption and connections of the like. In fact, the fact one of the murder was a well-known and powerful British businessman, this would be damaging to the nation abroad as well. So while China was doing its best to appear powerful and strong, it was undergoing some reforms and dealing with a lot of problems right now. Furthermore, the fact that the closest nation to a superpower is under political jeopardy causes a chain reaction with its allies or protectorates. Other times, it seems that such events were already sent in motion, but newer circumstances end up exacerbating the situation further.
And the prime example of this was North Korea.
Over in the first months of 2013, North Korea has been becoming belligerent in regards to them testing nuclear weapons. Confirmations ended up reaching around Febuary in regards to the weaponry. As a result of this along with the troublesome situation of China going under political turmoil seemed to have put North Korea into a coner of sorts and began lashing out. Or perhaps it was an arrogance in thinking they no longer needed China. As the conflict began escalating from January to Febuary, North Korea threatens the "final destruction" of South Korea during a United Nations conference on disarmament. The United Nations was not taking lightly to that and while every other nation was condemning the North Korean regime, the McCain Administration decided to visit China and discuss how to deal with the matter once and fore all.
North Korea is both a blessing and a curse for China. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is an independent state that is openly hostile to the United States and other regional powers. Pyongyang’s military is a deterrent to attack without posing a direct threat to China. As a result, nearly a thousand miles of China’s borders are occupied by a regime that finances its own defense and will never fall willingly within the U.S. sphere of influence. Pyongyang’s fiery anti-American rhetoric and nuclear weapons program have provoked the United States, making North Korea a major point of contention between Washington and Beijing. The country’s flagrant
violation of international norms have tested Beijing’s patience. But now, North Korea's behavior over the political turmoil in China has become a breaking point, especially with its foreign reputation in jeopardy along with working to maintain societal order over their near-brush with electing a gangster-like figure in Bo.
The McCain Administration would not take such threats to America or her allies lightly. However, they also knew China has plenty of reasons to maintain North Korea around. However, the main two came down to security and economy. North Korea served as a buffer state for China and helped protect Manchuria and the simple fact that the region is such a mess that it beginning to bleed out would lead to plenty of unskilled refugees into a part of China already in economic decline. However, while North Korea would need to remain, that did not mean the
Kim dynasty needed to. Changing the leadership would benefit both parties as it would remove an immensely antagonistic force. It would benefit China abroad in foreign relations since they would no longer have North Korea be seen as an antagonistic force. Meanwhile, an official end to the Korean War and working toward Korean unification would be a massive boon toward the McCain Administration. The major concern would be in having to "de-program" the people from their brainwashing to the Kim cult of personality. While difficult, it would not be impossible. The idea of unification of Korea remained a pipe dream if out of China's desire for a buffer state, but it would benefit them both if it was not such a volatile state.
Thus began Operation Shroud. It was a covert operation. While the Americans began reinforcing their barriers and serving as a distraction for the Kim adminsitration, the Chinese would begin sending reinforcements into North Korea along with covert agents until different guises, to protect North Korea. Within the next days, the plot would be excuted and rumors of a coup, traitors or so on would be leaked within the military. Even a staged attempt on Kim's life. Kim Jong-un would be encouraged by the Chinese leaders along with anyone they bribed or coerced on their side to retire for the safety of his health, not just from the attempt, but from the stress of ruling. The news of Kim abdicating from active ruling was an immense shock to the culture, what that would be hoped could help begin the process. In his farewell speech, he notes that he must leave to heal from the traitors and that Jang Song-thaek will do a fine job in purging the traitors and disloyal elements. When questions of the Westerners were asked, the concerns were shrugged off and quietly dismissed that they were no threat. The Chinese and American intelligence networks worked to target and identify much of the diehard loyalists or uncontrolled oppportunists. The Chinese took control of every aspect of the media, including the Internet, and Jang Song-thaek would reassure the North Koreans that all will be well. He does so with de-escalation of tensions between North Korea with their neighbors down south and with the United States.
"De-Kimification", inspried by the "de-Stalinization" of decades prior saw the Chinese-controlled government through tis various arms, including the media, removing the influence of the Kims. Statues and pictures of them would be moved to scarce areas and replaced with that of traditional Korean historical figures predating the Communists, some abstract art or even a couple of the Buddhsit scultures. Much like with "de-Stalinization", it was done in silent with little to no explanation for the masses though the cooperative leaders were told of the danger of cult of personality. The Chinese-dominated North Korean media maintained a tight lock from the outside world, but began talking less and less about the Kims and more on North Korea in general along with some Chinese propaganda and some general propaganda to keep people from noticing the changes. To further assist in the endeavor, certain rules on religion were relaxed, primarily for Buddhism and Chendoism. The hopes was to use the pre-existing zealotry that was aimed at the Kims and redirect it through the accepted religions of Korea. Economywise, plans were being outlined to try and get the people to work and learn
some skills to gain some potential employment or at least some projects to get them to move.
The political prisons and reeducation camps were among the only major issue that the Americans assisted in with China. The conditions of them were an abhorrent shock to the United States and the rest of the world. The prisoners of both of the sites would be distributed among the Americans and Chinese, depending on how they were and what woud be best effective. The Americans called upon the South Koreans and Canadians for assistance, especially with the children. Most of the camps would close save for those to be held with "uncooperative individuals." The McCain Administration called upon further UN assistance to deal with the North Korean refugees on resettling them and on "deprogramming" them, enough to where the discussions on cults and "deprogramming" them would become reported many times.
Meanwhile, the Chinese confiscated the nuclear weapons while working with the Americans to safely and properly dispose of and destory the chemical and biological warfare components, some of which unnerved even the Chinese on their danger. North Korea meanwhile would remained primarily miltiarized though the newer commanders and orders put an emphasis on loyalty to the homeland rather than the Kim administration. Through Chinese channels, North Korea would get some additional food and supplies from the outside world, working to endear Jang Song-thaek to the people with his benevolence along with that of the Chinese. At the same time, martial law remained in effect as dissenters who began looking too hard into it would be "disposed" off.
By the end of the year, North Korea would be in a complicated positionFor many, it remained the same as they went about their day as usual albeit with changes such as less statues of Kims or pamphlets suggesting people to look into Buddhism or Chendoism if they seek support and meaning. They were still cut-off mostly from the world and remain uanware of the transgression. Yet it also became different. the Kims were slowly being phased into the background along with some of its defining features, notably downplaying the so-called Threat of the US. While North Korea's presence would linger at China's insistence, a large sense of hostility has been displaced. Furthermore, dealing with the Korean Crisis made Li Keqiang into a rock star of a politician back home and abroad. For the Americans, it meant greater relations with China without the tensions of the previous North Korean regime and some sense of security and prestige for the McCain Administration. At the same time, the glimpse of horrors into North Korea brought forth the terrors of totalitarianism and cults of personality back into the mainstream, especially with the revelations that the nation's wealth was invested into more and more of the military, drawing some parallels with the US by some brash pundits. Many of these refugees would end up being taken in by support groups or especially numerous churches. The new Pope elected in would communicate with the Catholics of South Korea on advice and networking to have these people find God to heal from their wounds from such a nerve-wracking life.
Kim and his family would end up spending the rest of their days in a "golden cage" somewhere within China though Kim Jong-un's poor health and hedonist tendencies, especially now liberated from his role as grand leader, would lead to his health decline accelerating, especially as Chinese officials would do what they can to indulge him to keep from going into the foreground. He would end up dying from complications from his suspected diabetes and hypertension a few years down the line with his widow and children taken into Chinese custody to live quiet lives.
While North Korea remained standing, untouched even, it was changed forever.