DBWI North Korea doesn't invade

March 2nd 1990, with the fall of the Berlin wall, and the collapse of the soviet union, and one of the worst famines in North Korean, hell Korean history the North Korean Regime felt like they had one last chance to reinight the korean pensular. They drastically underestimated the advances of American and Korean technology, and over estimated the strength of their late 60s early 70s stock piles of soviet weapontry. They also belived that China would back them up.

They were wrong, on all counts.

Its been over 25 years since the Norks lost the war, but what would have happened if they didn't roll the dice? If that mixture of frenzied arrogance, and desperation had not led to the second korean war. What would the world look like today?
 
Well, there might not have been the chemical attack on Tokyo. Which in turn would mean Japan wouldn't have got involved in the war: the JMSDF and JASDF provided considerable support to US and Korean forces during the advance North, same with the GSDF's Special Forces units.

Actually: that'd have changed a few things. The war not only caused major post-war growth in the Japanese military, but it finally led Japan and the ROK to bury the hatchet, and these days those two and the Philippines cooperate on regional security - necessary given China's actions with regard to those islands. And it's looking like Vietnam might be coming into that club...
 
Considering that bringing a swift end to the conflict is widely considered to be President Bush's crowning foreign policy achievement, I doubt he would have gotten a second term if the invasion never happened. The goodwill he generated was even enough to offset that utter catastrophe that happened in Iraq the following year, and heavily contributed to his win against Jerry Brown in '92.
 
That all depends on what happens when Kim Il-Sung dies. If his bozo of a kid takes over, then NK is fucked for generations. If someone else takes over in a power struggle, even if it's the military, there's hope.

After Kim was executed postwar, the ROK, PRC, USA and Japan all tried to build a postwar government, but Japan and the PRC just couldn't work together and Japan gave up. So it ended up with a government that pays lip service to communism but is actually an authoritarian democracy in practice. Of course, they're sweethearts compared to that fuckwad Kim. They even demolished the camps and repurposed them as communes for criminals. To think North Korea has some of the best prisons in the world.
 

James G

Gone Fishin'
The Kim King was a good guy. If it wasn't for the neo-colonialist, fascist invasion to feed the balance sheets of robber-baron capitalist banks in the Evil West then we would see the shining light of true Marxist-Leninism on the Korean Peninsula. The so-called death camps were for fraternal political re-education of wreckers and those duped by bloodthirsty capitalists!
{continues nonsense for the next 82 posts}
 
The Kim King was a good guy. If it wasn't for the neo-colonialist, fascist invasion to feed the balance sheets of robber-baron capitalist banks in the Evil West then we would see the shining light of true Marxist-Leninism on the Korean Peninsula. The so-called death camps were for fraternal political re-education of wreckers and those duped by bloodthirsty capitalists!
{continues nonsense for the next 82 posts}

On second thought, I won't have what this guy's drinking. Water for me, please. Bottled. Factory seal still on it.
 
I imagine that North Korea would have probably gone down the path of gradual market liberalisation under an authoritarian government that the rest of the "Communist" hold-outs did.
 
I wonder if Russia would have remained close to N. Korea? Everyone knows that in IRL, after Kim was pretty much next to dead, the Russians conquered the northern coal rich areas. I won't get into a WI the subsequent ethnic cleansing didn't happen, because I know tensions still run high around that, especially after the Perm Bombings, but before the war the USSR and early Russia were friendly.
 
I think it's quite possible that without the Korean War reigniting that the US would have been more likely to do something about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, although I suppose it's possible that Saddam wouldn't have invaded at all if the eyes of the world weren't elsewhere.
 
Well, there might not have been the chemical attack on Tokyo. Which in turn would mean Japan wouldn't have got involved in the war: the JMSDF and JASDF provided considerable support to US and Korean forces during the advance North, same with the GSDF's Special Forces units.

Actually: that'd have changed a few things. The war not only caused major post-war growth in the Japanese military, but it finally led Japan and the ROK to bury the hatchet, and these days those two and the Philippines cooperate on regional security - necessary given China's actions with regard to those islands. And it's looking like Vietnam might be coming into that club...

Seriously, people give President Powell a lot of flack (not all of it undeserved) for his half-measure approach to domestic policy, but him overseeing the rapprochement between Japan, the ROK, and the Philippines is right up there with Nixon going to China in terms of foreign policy masterstrokes. Vietnam getting in on the action feels almost poetic.
 
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To be honest, I have severe doubts that North Korea would be able to survive in a post-Cold War world, unless it reformed a bit and stopped being so egregiously oppressive (which, under the Kims, is around as likely as them voluntarily agreeing to become a Japanese province) - America, on its 'we've-just-stopped-communism' high, would have intervened and implemented regime change sooner or later. This would make a big difference, though - OTL, there's a lot of people in East Asia who see the USA in a broadly benevolent light (thanks to them defending Japan and the ROK, and Powell's mediation between the states), whereas an America that had actively crushed an enemy regime would be much more worrying. I wouldn't be surprised if that pushed a lot of countries into Beijing's orbit, unlike OTL where China are still having to deny harbouring North Korean fugitives to this day.

I think it's quite possible that without the Korean War reigniting that the US would have been more likely to do something about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, although I suppose it's possible that Saddam wouldn't have invaded at all if the eyes of the world weren't elsewhere.

Interesting thought - this would completely change the politics of the Middle East. No Iraqi triumph in Kuwait, and no Ba'athist campaigns for self-determination and proper borders (the whole 'down with Sykes-Picot' thing), would literally redraw the map - and would definitely mean no proxy wars between Iran and the North Arab Federation (or whatever they're calling themselves this week) today. Saddam would never have invaded if anyone was watching - whatever else he was, he was a pragmatist at heart, and knew the risks of upsetting the only remaining superpower.
 
To be honest, I have severe doubts that North Korea would be able to survive in a post-Cold War world, unless it reformed a bit and stopped being so egregiously oppressive (which, under the Kims, is around as likely as them voluntarily agreeing to become a Japanese province) - America, on its 'we've-just-stopped-communism' high, would have intervened and implemented regime change sooner or later. This would make a big difference, though - OTL, there's a lot of people in East Asia who see the USA in a broadly benevolent light (thanks to them defending Japan and the ROK, and Powell's mediation between the states), whereas an America that had actively crushed an enemy regime would be much more worrying. I wouldn't be surprised if that pushed a lot of countries into Beijing's orbit, unlike OTL where China are still having to deny harbouring North Korean fugitives to this day.

Hell, think of the impact on popular media. In most Asian popular culture (especially anime), America's the cavalry; we come riding in at the darkest moment to save the day (of course, usually after getting our butts kicked in the first place). There's a reason why Media Memes has a field day with "America (Finally) Saves The Day" (OOC: Think of this as a combination of The Worf Effect and The Cavalry).
 
Hell, think of the impact on popular media. In most Asian popular culture (especially anime), America's the cavalry; we come riding in at the darkest moment to save the day (of course, usually after getting our butts kicked in the first place). There's a reason why Media Memes has a field day with "America (Finally) Saves The Day" (OOC: Think of this as a combination of The Worf Effect and The Cavalry).

Actually, I can sort of imagine a bit of a twist on this, if America had turned up without being invited - popular culture in the East having the cavalry turn up at the end, but for their own reasons, and not really concerned about saving anyone...
 
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