Originally posted by Doktor
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Footing the bill is one thing, throwing money of the window is another. Usually those who foot the bill, want some control on how their money is spent. You wont find that in the North.
100 years to undo 60 years? In this fast moving world?
Today's East Asia has already been exposed to Western goods and ideas for several decades.
Look at Vietnam.
I wonder if the Soviets installed Kim Il Sung as dictator of North Korea because the Koreans at the time would have been more willing to accept an autocratic ruler than a president + politburo.
At some point people will wake up hungry and very pissed off.
I heard that, prior to his execution, Jang Song-T'aek was keeping for himself the profits from seafood sales to China, while the Kims were not seeing much money. That battle between the Jang loyalists and the NK military was the last straw.
Like he can't oust them one by one? Or in larger groups.
Like to stop food and oil shipments? If he wants to get something, he must give something else in return.
Perhaps JST's push to liberalize the NK economy had Beijing a bit concerned. Controlling NK would be difficult if it looked more and more like SK. From time to time Beijing still worries about war with Japan, war between Korea and Japan, and the possibility of a Korean irredentist wanting territory in Northeast China. (The Gwanggaeto Stele is located there.)
Putin is not that dumb to meddle in the complicated affairs on the far east. He has enough issues to solve on the western frontiers.
And what happens when all is quiet on the western front? Vladivostok is pretty damn close to NK and China may want to get back Primorsky Krai in the future. This is more likely a matter of when rather than of if.
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