Throughout the 20th century, Korea has recieved what is colloquialy known as "the shit end of the stick". First a Japanese occupation that lasted for most of the first half of the century, then a brief hot war in the 1950's, followed by a protracted cold war between a capitalist South and a starving and increasingly erratic North. Starting in 1900, make things better in the Korea of 2000 by any means necessary.
AH Challenge: A Happier Korea
- Thread starter Adam Parsons
- Start date
Grey Wolf
Donor
Alasdair Czyrnyj said:
Darn, 1900 misses the best POD which would be 1894
OK, logically you have to either keep the Japanese down or remove them completely without leaving a vaccuum that someone else will fill
This makes 1904 somewhat a complex POD as if the Russians kick the Japanese donkey then they may well simply come to dominate Korea instead
What is probably best is to AVOID the Russo-Japanese War, leave both Japan and Russia with interests in Korea but above this balancing act the Korean monarchy can continue to rule in fact.
I am not sure how easy this is going to be
Grey Wolf
Mike Collins
Banned
How about this one. Its a little ASBish but what the hey?
Make Korea and island nation. Maybe its on a seperate techtonic plate that drifts away from the Asian mainland. This will reduce the Chinese and Russian ability to strong arm the Korean aristocracy. Also, the Korean nation will have a strong impetous to develop seafaring capability (and hence a Navy) to communicate and trade. This will keep the Japanese at bay while the nation develops. In fact, it may cause Japan to become a colony of Korea (archaelogical digs in West Japan reveal Japan was populated by ethnic Koreans OTL)!
This could keep Korea strong and independent enough to hold off the locals. However, theres a good possibility Korea would willfully ally itself with Japan for WW2. The USA would still be able to defeat such an alliance and a similar occupation would result. Kim Il Sung couldnt develop a North Korea for logistical reasons (doubly so if there is a US occupation force). Communist attempts at destabilizing Korea wouldnt go farther than they did in the Philipines OTL.
Make Korea and island nation. Maybe its on a seperate techtonic plate that drifts away from the Asian mainland. This will reduce the Chinese and Russian ability to strong arm the Korean aristocracy. Also, the Korean nation will have a strong impetous to develop seafaring capability (and hence a Navy) to communicate and trade. This will keep the Japanese at bay while the nation develops. In fact, it may cause Japan to become a colony of Korea (archaelogical digs in West Japan reveal Japan was populated by ethnic Koreans OTL)!
This could keep Korea strong and independent enough to hold off the locals. However, theres a good possibility Korea would willfully ally itself with Japan for WW2. The USA would still be able to defeat such an alliance and a similar occupation would result. Kim Il Sung couldnt develop a North Korea for logistical reasons (doubly so if there is a US occupation force). Communist attempts at destabilizing Korea wouldnt go farther than they did in the Philipines OTL.
Xen
Banned
Starting in 1900 everything goes the same up to WWII, when the Soviets refuse to declare war on Japan the US and British together invade Korea. Winston Churchill is asked by Prime Minister Atlee and President Truman to go to Moscow on behalf of the Western Alliance and inform Stalin the previous agreement over the division of Korea was now void. Stalin obviously aint happy but does not want to provoke the wraith of his former allies by killing Churchill or declaring war. He insists on something for Soviet blood spilled by the Japanese in 1939. Churchill is able to secure the southern half of Sakhalin Island only for Stalin.
Korea is re-partitioned between Britain, US and France. With Britain getting most of North Korea, the US getting South Korea, and France getting a small part of Northeast Korea. The Three governments unite the Peninsula in 1947 as a Republic. By 2004 Korea is a unified Asian Tiger with the whole peninsula enjoying a greater success than SK enjoyed in OTL. It is a staunch ally of the US in the Cold War sending troops to fight in Vietnam (a greater amount than OTL), Desert Storm in 1991, Afghanistan 2001-present and Iraq 2003.
Korea is re-partitioned between Britain, US and France. With Britain getting most of North Korea, the US getting South Korea, and France getting a small part of Northeast Korea. The Three governments unite the Peninsula in 1947 as a Republic. By 2004 Korea is a unified Asian Tiger with the whole peninsula enjoying a greater success than SK enjoyed in OTL. It is a staunch ally of the US in the Cold War sending troops to fight in Vietnam (a greater amount than OTL), Desert Storm in 1991, Afghanistan 2001-present and Iraq 2003.
Major earthquakes in Japan
A major earthquake in Japan just before the invasion of Taiwan causes it to be cancelled. When the next invasion is about to start, there is another and even bigger earthquake. The Japanese decide to pack it in, and there are no more earthquakes. Japan and Korea (and Taiwan) have a happy and peacefull twentieth century without getting involved in any wars.
A major earthquake in Japan just before the invasion of Taiwan causes it to be cancelled. When the next invasion is about to start, there is another and even bigger earthquake. The Japanese decide to pack it in, and there are no more earthquakes. Japan and Korea (and Taiwan) have a happy and peacefull twentieth century without getting involved in any wars.
Emperor and King Wilhelm the Loony.
The Kaiser has a brainstorm and sends his yacht to Korea. He announces the annexation of Korea. He is promptly overthrown by his heir and made governor of Korea. The Koreans figure out he's nuts quickly and decide that being a nominal vassal of Germany is not entirely a bad idea when you are surrounded by Russia, Japan, and China.
The Koreans are forced to declare independence in 1914, but otherwise they are perfectly happy. They nationalize the German ships in their harbors when war is declared and the Japanese decide that it's not a good idea to push it. The Japanese don't have their morale up because of Tsushima because there was no Russo-Japanese war in this ATL without Korea to give the Russians and the Japanese a common border with Manchuria. The Japanese are still expansionist but go straight for China without bothering Korea.
The Kaiser has a brainstorm and sends his yacht to Korea. He announces the annexation of Korea. He is promptly overthrown by his heir and made governor of Korea. The Koreans figure out he's nuts quickly and decide that being a nominal vassal of Germany is not entirely a bad idea when you are surrounded by Russia, Japan, and China.
The Koreans are forced to declare independence in 1914, but otherwise they are perfectly happy. They nationalize the German ships in their harbors when war is declared and the Japanese decide that it's not a good idea to push it. The Japanese don't have their morale up because of Tsushima because there was no Russo-Japanese war in this ATL without Korea to give the Russians and the Japanese a common border with Manchuria. The Japanese are still expansionist but go straight for China without bothering Korea.
How about a simple "China decides not to intervene in 1950" or "MacArthur doesn't screw up the advance, so when the Chinese do attack the UN forces hold them off"?