To those who don't know, the August Incident was a failed attempted at removing Kim Il-sung by both Pro-Soviet, and Pro-Chinese Korean factions in part of Khrushchev's Secret Speech and while Kim was in Moscow. However, he learn of the plot once he came back, and carry out purges of the Soviet and Chinese Factions, and thus finish his consolidation of power.

But what if he had been different? If Kim Il-sung had been himself purge along with his supports? How will North Korea look now?
 
I think it would look like something between Cambodia and Vietnam.

Unification would be less unthinkable, at least from an economic PoV, but China would not like it one bit so I guess they would keep a puppet to do their bidding and hopefully have it develop as they did.
 
North Korea was aligned with the Soviet Union until it collapsed only then did they start getting super friendly with China.
Under sainer leadership we'd see economic reforms in the 1980s and a more powerful North Korean economy.
North Korea wouldn't be a economic power House but it wouldn't be the basket case it is today.
 
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