A hypothetical where North Korea takes over the South

[Gigaverse]

You wake up one morning, and it happens: the North has launched a full-scale invasion of the much richer, better-equipped South, and by some massive stroke of luck, either a magical Vietcong parallel or just extraterrestrial assistance... North Korea emerges victorious. And several extra strokes of luck, where the United States, together with the rest of the international community, somehow just doesn't think it's worth it to immediately help liberate the South, and soldiers and population pockets across the peninsula just do not revolt, either out of fear of KPA retribution or otherwise.

With the pieces now set in stone, we have our hypothetical; North Korea has accomplished the wildest dream it has always sought after: the reunification of the Korean peninsula, with force in this instance.

Now come[s] the important question(s): What next? And, what kinda explanation, other than extraterrestrial intervention (e.g. a massive stock market crash in the South with worse consequences than the Great Depression, maybe), can be offered to make this extremely unlikely scenario become possible, if not reality?

Personally, while I cannot answer the latter, the hypothetical in itself and that former question have always fascinated me due to my Vietnamese origins. Outside of leftist circles and generations of Vietnamese which have lived under the socialist regime for the last nearly-45 years, common belief has it that the communist takeover of South Vietnam was generally a step downward in terms of prosperity and freedom for the South (regardless of whether or not there were actual bloodbaths). I cannot apply this same perspective towards the context of Korea, but what's going to happen, should the North succeed in this endeavor, would at the very least resemble what happened to South Vietnam, or perhaps even an exaggeration of it.

What do you think then, NSG? Khmer Rouge-like bloodbaths? An awkward air of reconciliation among compatriots and separated families, while the whole world (bar perhaps China, Iran, Russia, Syria, or other "rogue regimes" by Western standards?) imposes embargoes on the reunified peninsula? Korean boat people? What could possibly happen in this mad world?

[Heloin]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

[Aureumterra]

Does this mean I can’t have the Galaxy Fold?

[Arcanda]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

What makes you think that the modern population of South Korea with very high standards of living will be prone to revolt?
The only thing going for them will be their military draft, but I doubt they can surpass the ferocity of the North Koreans. I don't think that any first-world country will be/is morally capable of sustaining high losses during conflict, even if they have the good reasons to fight in one and the armaments necessary.

[Gigaverse]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

How quick would such a process be, according to you?

[Gigaverse]

Does this mean I can’t have the Galaxy Fold?

Yeah, sorry, unless Samsung transfers their headquarters overseas and transcend national boundaries.

What makes you think that the modern population of South Korea with very high standards of living will be prone to revolt?
The only thing going for them will be their military draft, but I doubt they can surpass the ferocity of the North Koreans. I don't think that any first-world country will be/is morally capable of sustaining high losses during conflict, even if they have the good reasons to fight in one and the armaments necessary.

oh shit i didn't think about this

[LiberNovusAmericae]

The North Korean government would probably engage in mass executions of South Koreans who knew too much, and start crushing dissent. Some people would try to flee.

Death to Juche! Death to those who aid North Korea.

[Infected Mushroom]

The South Koreans would keep their heads down and obey the new North Korean government out of fear.

North Korea would plunder and ruin South Korea’s economy. Millions would be purged. However, there would be overall quiet reference and fear and inaction (because that is what democracy and first world living standards/individualistic morality trains people to do... fight your battles on the internet and with your keyboards but risk not your neck for your fellow citizens).

Maybe one protest or two. That’s about it.

Under the north’s leadership and plundering, expect a massive economic downward spiral and crash.

[Gigaverse]

The North Korean government would probably engage in mass executions of South Koreans who knew too much, and start crushing dissent. Refugees would defiantly try to flee.

Death to Juche! Death to those who aid North Korea.

So, say,

Could what happened in South Vietnam be flipped around, and an active anti-Juche guerrilla force be started up?

[Technocratic Uganda]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

You underestimate how complacent and willing to conform people in Northeast Asian cultures are. It's been drilled into them for centuries, up until recently the Chinese were put to death by their government for not wearing their hair in a certain way. It's a stereotype that Russians and Slavs/Eastern Europeans in general will be very complacent when faced with shit living conditions and oppression, and even they managed to help overthrow a Marxist-Leninist illiberal government with the help of Western subversion. If the people in North Korea aren't doing anything to get rid of Kim how much will the South Koreans do? South Korea is already a totalitarian nightmare, all pornography is banned, the court system is completely broken and they still have conscription, but absolutely nobody cares about any of this or lifts a finger to do anything about it. It's like the Chinese failing to strike over Jack Ma's work hours, their history is one of being given harsh consequences for questioning and acting out against dodgy rulers or poor quality of life imposed upon them by said rulers. This coincides with a shame as opposed to guilt-based culture in which everything is so devoid of respect for the individual that feeling bad about wrongdoings has to be made communal instead of having one person accept what they did wrong (which we teach small children to do in the west, it isn't hard to grasp). A few thousand Koreans from the south will protest, tanks will be rolled on top of them and nothing else will be heard from the Hermit Kingdom for the forseeable future. Their only hope for getting out of that situation will be generous amounts of foreign subversion.

[Heloin]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

What makes you think that the modern population of South Korea with very high standards of living will be prone to revolt?

There was a joke in I think Red Dwarf that society is only three meals away from revolution. While not 100% true your assumption that a society the has a high standard of living won't revolt when that standard of living drastically drops from the highest level on earth to the lowest is incredibly absurd.

The only thing going for them will be their military draft, but I doubt they can surpass the ferocity of the North Koreans. I don't think that any first-world country will be/is morally capable of sustaining high losses during conflict, even if they have the good reasons to fight in one and the armaments necessary.

I'm working under what is given in the OP, the North Korean State as is won and conquered the south.

If the North Koreans invaded South Korea right now they have an estimated week, week and a half to win the war, then be invaded by Japan and the United States. There are hundreds of thousands of artillery pieces on both sides of the DMZ would destroy hundreds of square kilometres of land and thousands of people. After that first week and a half North Korea would find themselves low on ammunition, guns, tanks, food, and other supplies needed to wage war. China and Russia won't be helping them because no matter how they feel about America, the reality is Japan, the USA, and South Korea are far more valuable trading partners then a drug trafficking dictatorship.

[Heloin]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

How quick would such a process be, according to you?

Probably a decade at the most. About half that time for the collapse of the New Korean State at best and whatever happens beyond that is really anyone's guess.

[Infected Mushroom]

The deaths of hundreds of thousands of South Koreans followed rather quickly by the collapse of the New United Korean state once the realisation dawns on the new overlords that they're outnumbered 2-1 by a population that wants them dead. Outside of Korea would probably see an economic collapse in the region and probably have major implications on the global econamy depending on how badly Japan and China are effected.

After that I don't know, civil war maybe, a full scale collapse of order in the Korean peninsula, or maybe once the New Korean regime is crumbling to pieces what ever the South Korean Government in Exile looks like takes over.

You underestimate how complacent and willing to conform people in Northeast Asian cultures are. It's been drilled into them for centuries, up until recently the Chinese were put to death by their government for not wearing their hair in a certain way. It's a stereotype that Russians and Slavs/Eastern Europeans in general will be very complacent when faced with shit living conditions and oppression, and even they managed to help overthrow a Marxist-Leninist illiberal government with the help of Western subversion. If the people in North Korea aren't doing anything to get rid of Kim how much will the South Koreans do? South Korea is already a totalitarian nightmare, all pornography is banned, the court system is completely broken and they still have conscription, but absolutely nobody cares about any of this or lifts a finger to do anything about it. It's like the Chinese failing to strike over Jack Ma's work hours, their history is one of being given harsh consequences for questioning and acting out against dodgy rulers or poor quality of life imposed upon them by said rulers. This coincides with a shame as opposed to guilt-based culture in which everything is so devoid of respect for the individual that feeling bad about wrongdoings has to be made communal instead of having one person accept what they did wrong (which we teach small children to do in the west, it isn't hard to grasp). A few thousand Koreans from the south will protest, tanks will be rolled on top of them and nothing else will be heard from the Hermit Kingdom for the forseeable future. Their only hope for getting out of that situation will be generous amounts of foreign subversion.

I agree.

First world living standards plus conformist East Asian mentality.

The people here love to conform and obey (flip side of that though, is that if Korea/Japan/China invades a country and incurs Iraq level losses you would have 1/20th if even that of the noise the media and protestors make to undermine their own nation’s war efforts in cynical America)

[The Chuck]

Ha... South Korean here (shocker eh? You probably though I was a white southern American). I read this and laughed for a good bit. If North Korea somehow did get control of South Korea, I could foresee an immediate retraction of support from China. The Chinese would know full well that South Korea's allies would be gearing up for a brawl and would most likely want to stay the hell out of it. Russia could possibly be a different story but North Korea would have major issues. Id bet that Pro-SoKo forces would have be ready to counterattack in a weeks time. The south koreans have mandatory military service so if a couple weapon depots are dispensed to civilians before the complete Take over, an armed guerilla resistance could happen. All in all, if this were to happen, I could feasibly see this as a spark to start WW3.

Edits due to being on mobil.

[Hammer Britannia]

The North is a tyrannical regime that the South wouldn't easily surrender to. Resistance would grow easily as the South would try to reform into their previous government.

The North would likely lose due to the sheer industrial and manpower capabilities of the south, even if the Government officially surrenders.

A similar scenario happened when the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Europe and Afghanistan. Early on, the people of these nations rose up in revolution against their oppressors, only to be crushed by Soviet manpower. However, in this scenario, the situation is reversed. A much smaller nation is occupying a much larger one.

It simply wouldn't last.

Also, America. America wouldn't stand by as NK invades its allies. Although they initially stood by in the sidelines, they would intervene

[Infected Mushroom]

Ha... South Korean here (shocker eh? You probably though I was a white southern American). I read this and laughed for a good bit. If North Korea somehow did get control of South Korea, I could foresee an immediate retraction of support from China. The Chinese would know full well that South Korea's allies would be gearing up for a brawl and would most likely want to stay the hell out of it. Russia could possibly be a different story but North Korea would have major issues. Id bet that Pro-SoLo forces would have be ready to counterattack in a weeks time. The south koreans have mandatory military service so if a couple weapon depots are dispensed to civilians before the complete Take over, an armed guerilla resistance could happen. All in all, if this were to happen, u could feasibly see this as a spark to start WW3.

... wait

Are you telling me all those interesting suggestions you had on how to execute my characters in the hypotheticals were pulled from South Korean horror films????

[Gigaverse]

South Korea is already a totalitarian nightmare, all pornography is banned, the court system is completely broken and they still have conscription, but absolutely nobody cares about any of this or lifts a finger to do anything about it.

The... South?

I agree.

First world living standards plus conformist East Asian mentality.

The people here love to conform and obey (flip side of that though, is that if Korea/Japan/China invades a country and incurs Iraq level losses you would have 1/20th if even that of the noise the media and protestors make to undermine their own nation’s war efforts in cynical America)

While I suppose the cultural factor will be heavy, it'll still remain that the North will be deeply unpopular, unlike the modern governments elsewhere in Northeast Asia - that should also factor into the rebelliousness, I'd think?

Though it probably would have to come to foreign assistance, akin to the fall of the Khmer Rouge.

Ha... South Korean here (shocker eh? You probably though I was a white southern American). I read this and laughed for a good bit.

Yeah I was fully aware of the laughable nature of this scenario from the start

If North Korea somehow did get control of South Korea, I could foresee an immediate retraction of support from China. The Chinese would know full well that South Korea's allies would be gearing up for a brawl and would most likely want to stay the he'll out of it. Russia could possibly be a different story but North Korea would have major issues. Id bet that Pro-SoLo forces would have be ready to counterattack in a weeks time. The south koreans have mandatory military service so if a couple weapon depots are dispensed to civilians before the complete Take over, an armed guerilla resistance could happen. All in all, if this were to happen, u could feasibly see this as a spark to start WW3.

Would there be active assistance to this questionable regime now, though?

[Heloin]

You underestimate how complacent and willing to conform people in Northeast Asian cultures are. It's been drilled into them for centuries, up until recently the Chinese were put to death by their government for not wearing their hair in a certain way. It's a stereotype that Russians and Slavs/Eastern Europeans in general will be very complacent when faced with shit living conditions and oppression, and even they managed to help overthrow a Marxist-Leninist illiberal government with the help of Western subversion. If the people in North Korea aren't doing anything to get rid of Kim how much will the South Koreans do? South Korea is already a totalitarian nightmare, all pornography is banned, the court system is completely broken and they still have conscription, but absolutely nobody cares about any of this or lifts a finger to do anything about it. It's like the Chinese failing to strike over Jack Ma's work hours, their history is one of being given harsh consequences for questioning and acting out against dodgy rulers or poor quality of life imposed upon them by said rulers. This coincides with a shame as opposed to guilt-based culture in which everything is so devoid of respect for the individual that feeling bad about wrongdoings has to be made communal instead of having one person accept what they did wrong (which we teach small children to do in the west, it isn't hard to grasp). A few thousand Koreans from the south will protest, tanks will be rolled on top of them and nothing else will be heard from the Hermit Kingdom for the forseeable future. Their only hope for getting out of that situation will be generous amounts of foreign subversion.

I agree.

First world living standards plus conformist East Asian mentality.

The people here love to conform and obey (flip side of that though, is that if Korea/Japan/China invades a country and incurs Iraq level losses you would have 1/20th if even that of the noise the media and protestors make to undermine their own nation’s war efforts in cynical America)

Firstly they wouldn't have that first world standard anymore so I don't know why people are bringing that up.

Secondly that statement doesn't really mix well with reality. Using what you said as fact then China would still have a monarchy, South Korea and Taiwan(ROC) would still dictatorships, and the Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians would still be ruled by the French.

[Infected Mushroom]

The North is a tyrannical regime that the South wouldn't easily surrender to. Resistance would grow easily as the South would try to reform into their previous government.

The North would likely lose due to the sheer industrial and manpower capabilities of the south, even if the Government officially surrenders.

A similar scenario happened when the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Europe and Afghanistan. Early on, the people of these nations rose up in revolution against their oppressors, only to be crushed by Soviet manpower. However, in this scenario, the situation is reversed. A much smaller nation is occupying a much larger one.

It simply wouldn't last.

Also, America. America wouldn't stand by as NK invades its allies. Although they initially stood by in the sidelines, they would intervene

The south wouldn’t rebel, protest or revolt in any significant capacity. It’s against the cultural norms of conformity, obedience and quiet communal living.

Most people would simply look out for the short term interests of their families and go to work until they can’t (then they’d still sooner try to get in the tyrant’s good books then rebel). In fact, if a kid were to rebel and get caught... his family would show up to apologize to the North Koreans in large numbers.

[Technocratic Uganda]

You underestimate how complacent and willing to conform people in Northeast Asian cultures are. It's been drilled into them for centuries, up until recently the Chinese were put to death by their government for not wearing their hair in a certain way. It's a stereotype that Russians and Slavs/Eastern Europeans in general will be very complacent when faced with shit living conditions and oppression, and even they managed to help overthrow a Marxist-Leninist illiberal government with the help of Western subversion. If the people in North Korea aren't doing anything to get rid of Kim how much will the South Koreans do? South Korea is already a totalitarian nightmare, all pornography is banned, the court system is completely broken and they still have conscription, but absolutely nobody cares about any of this or lifts a finger to do anything about it. It's like the Chinese failing to strike over Jack Ma's work hours, their history is one of being given harsh consequences for questioning and acting out against dodgy rulers or poor quality of life imposed upon them by said rulers. This coincides with a shame as opposed to guilt-based culture in which everything is so devoid of respect for the individual that feeling bad about wrongdoings has to be made communal instead of having one person accept what they did wrong (which we teach small children to do in the west, it isn't hard to grasp). A few thousand Koreans from the south will protest, tanks will be rolled on top of them and nothing else will be heard from the Hermit Kingdom for the forseeable future. Their only hope for getting out of that situation will be generous amounts of foreign subversion.

I agree.

First world living standards plus conformist East Asian mentality.

The people here love to conform and obey (flip side of that though, is that if Korea/Japan/China invades a country and incurs Iraq level losses you would have 1/20th if even that of the noise the media and protestors make to undermine their own nation’s war efforts in cynical America)

When you eat with East Asian families here they stress to not waste any food. They stress being frugal. They don't act like Westerners do when it comes to reacting to living standards. I don't even think first world living standards make or break East Asian complacency with everything, these people could be back in the rice fields eating nothing but rice and carp again and they would still be exactly as complacent as before. Their living standards surely would contribute to it, but even if South Koreans were very quickly submurged into NK-level blackouts and food shortages they still wouldn't do a thing about it. There's this weird culture of behaving as much like human ants as possible.

[The Chuck]

Ha... South Korean here (shocker eh? You probably though I was a white southern American). I read this and laughed for a good bit. If North Korea somehow did get control of South Korea, I could foresee an immediate retraction of support from China. The Chinese would know full well that South Korea's allies would be gearing up for a brawl and would most likely want to stay the hell out of it. Russia could possibly be a different story but North Korea would have major issues. Id bet that Pro-SoLo forces would have be ready to counterattack in a weeks time. The south koreans have mandatory military service so if a couple weapon depots are dispensed to civilians before the complete Take over, an armed guerilla resistance could happen. All in all, if this were to happen, u could feasibly see this as a spark to start WW3.

... wait

Are you telling me all those interesting suggestions you had on how to execute my characters in the hypotheticals were pulled from South Korean horror films????

Nah... (Honestly, no) those were from the "sprinkling" of evil in me...

[Infected Mushroom]

I agree.

First world living standards plus conformist East Asian mentality.

The people here love to conform and obey (flip side of that though, is that if Korea/Japan/China invades a country and incurs Iraq level losses you would have 1/20th if even that of the noise the media and protestors make to undermine their own nation’s war efforts in cynical America)

Firstly they wouldn't have that first world standard anymore so I don't know why people are bringing that up.

Secondly that statement doesn't really mix well with reality. Using what you said as fact then China would still have a monarchy, South Korea and Taiwan(ROC) would still dictatorships, and the Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians would still be ruled by the French.

This is northeast Asia

Southeast Asia is very different culturally (ex Thailand rebels all the time)

[Arcanda]

What makes you think that the modern population of South Korea with very high standards of living will be prone to revolt?

There was a joke in I think Red Dwarf that society is only three meals away from revolution. While not 100% true your assumption that a society the has a high standard of living won't revolt when that standard of living drastically drops from the highest level on earth to the lowest is incredibly absurd.

The only thing going for them will be their military draft, but I doubt they can surpass the ferocity of the North Koreans. I don't think that any first-world country will be/is morally capable of sustaining high losses during conflict, even if they have the good reasons to fight in one and the armaments necessary.

I'm working under what is given in the OP, the North Korean State as is won and conquered the south.

If the North Koreans invaded South Korea right now they have an estimated week, week and a half to win the war, then be invaded by Japan and the United States. There are hundreds of thousands of artillery pieces on both sides of the DMZ would destroy hundreds of square kilometres of land and thousands of people. After that first week and a half North Korea would find themselves low on ammunition, guns, tanks, food, and other supplies needed to wage war. China and Russia won't be helping them because no matter how they feel about America, the reality is Japan, the USA, and South Korea are far more valuable trading partners then a drug trafficking dictatorship.

1 - See what Mushroom said. What would help them would be the knowledge of military tactics they learned during their draft/military service, but I think that first-world conditions have broken their fighting spirit and they'll likely not be able to withstand wildland guerilla warfare, if they even go so far as trying to do such a thing. It's easy to revolt in the first-world when you're dealing with a milquetoast authoritarian regime, but not when you are against hordes of hardened and insensitive soldiers trained to exterminate you.

2 - I'm also working under these assumptions. In OP's theoretical case, no foreign help seems to be on the way. In that context, I doubt the South Koreans would attempt any large-scale resistance. I even think that the most brashly anti-communistic, nationalist South Koreans are currently in their 60s and 70s, but I could be wrong.

[Infected Mushroom]

I agree.

First world living standards plus conformist East Asian mentality.

The people here love to conform and obey (flip side of that though, is that if Korea/Japan/China invades a country and incurs Iraq level losses you would have 1/20th if even that of the noise the media and protestors make to undermine their own nation’s war efforts in cynical America)

When you eat with East Asian families here they stress to not waste any food. They stress being frugal. They don't act like Westerners do when it comes to reacting to living standards. I don't even think first world living standards make or break East Asian complacency with everything, these people could be back in the rice fields eating nothing but rice and carp again and they would still be exactly as complacent as before. Their living standards surely would contribute to it, but even if South Koreans were very quickly submurged into NK-level blackouts and food shortages they still wouldn't do a thing about it. There's this weird culture of behaving as much like human ants as possible.

My experience through East Asia has been the same.

In fact, if you protest, your family will look at you funny. Litigation is associated with rudeness and overaggressiveness rather than defense of your rights, protest and resistance with treason and immaturity

If you upset the social order, you may be expected to apologize and bow publically

[Heloin]

The south wouldn’t rebel, protest or revolt in any significant capacity. It’s against the cultural norms of conformity, obedience and quiet communal living.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Struggle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_in ... e_movement