War with North Korea

[CapelDodger]

As a military regime faced with a hostile outside world. It has nothing else going for it. Generally, people in North Korea know they are poor and hungry - how could they not? But the regime appears to have genuine support as well. Where does this come from if not by means of persuasion as well as coercion?

It's indoctrination rather than persuasion. Generations of it, and that's a powerful thing, especially given the cultural memory of hostility from the Chinese (repeatedly), Mongols, Manchus, Japanese and latterly the US (under the cloak of the UN). All of whom Koreans have resisted and, ultimately, triumphed over. That's the taught narrative, anyway, and it's remarkably close to reality.

 

[CapelDodger]

The regime controls the flow of information into the country. More importantly, the regime controls the propaganda context for interpreting what little outside information does arrive.

They also control the economic context. The people receiving this information are generally those who are doing reasonably well under the status quo. They can see that their equivalents in China and South Korea have shinier bling than them, but do they really want to get into fair competition with that lot?

 

[Darth Rotor]

Has any US government since 1953 really taken signing a Peace Treaty with them seriously? It seems that they have made a number of overtures to the US and SK to officially end it.

I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you. Do you understand the terms required by the NK's for the reunification of Korea? Are you really that gullible that you'll buy their line of soap salesmanship? Take your noise to South Korea and sell it there. Go ahead, see how they like your attitude.