3 ms·

If you've been to the South, the comparison is stark, and it's hard to believe the two were one country a few decades ago. That said, if re-unification, happen

by heresy 16y ago

If you've been to the South, the comparison is stark, and it's hard to believe the two were one country a few decades ago. That said, if re-unification, happens I imagine the progress in the North will be rapid, and the country as a whole will become an even stronger regional power.

m-photonic 16y ago
>I imagine the progress in the North will be rapid For the most part, what I'm imagining is mass migration from the North to the South.
- protomyth 16y ago
  and the biggest land buy in history in the north..
atomical 16y ago
"That said, if re-unification, happens I imagine the progress in the North will be rapid, and the country as a whole will become an even stronger regional power." South Korea is a prosperous country that has developed in a relatively short amount of time but North Koreans don't have the education or skill to compete in a South Korean economy.
- OstiaAntica 16y ago
  Progress was slower than expected when Germany reunified, and North Korea's poverty is deeper and its culture seems more profoundly damaged.
  - eru 16y ago
    There's still a cultural divide in Germany.
- bane 16y ago
  Behind the scenes, South Koreans talk about a staged reunification over decades. The first stage? Use North Koreans as cheap, manual, unskilled labor like we in the U.S. use people from Mexico and South America (that's actually how it's described). In a sense it's being tested right now in the Kaesong industrial area on the border. It gives the benefits of cheap labor, without having to use the Chinese.
shaggyfrog 16y ago
Re: reunification, Korea has the advantage to learn from Germany what worked and what didn't. I think the contrast is even sharper in this case, though. NK seems to be hopelessly destitute.
- fbailey 16y ago
  there is no comparison - east germany had some kind of industry. The issue was privatization and modernisation. Also the population was very well educated and had watched west german TV for the last 30 years. North Korea has no industry and the population has no education. The unification will be between a high-tech 21st century developed country and the middle ages. The first thing they will have to do is take over the schools so that the next generation in 15 years has a chance to build this country. GDP 1990 West Germany in 1990 $24,485 East Germany in 1990 $10,430 (I'm not so sure about these figures but the direction is right)

by heresy 16y ago

m-photonic 16y ago

>I imagine the progress in the North will be rapid For the most part, what I'm imagining is mass migration from the North to the South.

protomyth 16y ago
and the biggest land buy in history in the north..

atomical 16y ago

"That said, if re-unification, happens I imagine the progress in the North will be rapid, and the country as a whole will become an even stronger regional power." South Korea is a prosperous country that has developed in a relatively short amount of time but North Koreans don't have the education or skill to compete in a South Korean economy.

OstiaAntica 16y ago
Progress was slower than expected when Germany reunified, and North Korea's poverty is deeper and its culture seems more profoundly damaged.
- eru 16y ago
  There's still a cultural divide in Germany.
bane 16y ago
Behind the scenes, South Koreans talk about a staged reunification over decades. The first stage? Use North Koreans as cheap, manual, unskilled labor like we in the U.S. use people from Mexico and South America (that's actually how it's described). In a sense it's being tested right now in the Kaesong industrial area on the border. It gives the benefits of cheap labor, without having to use the Chinese.

shaggyfrog 16y ago

Re: reunification, Korea has the advantage to learn from Germany what worked and what didn't. I think the contrast is even sharper in this case, though. NK seems to be hopelessly destitute.

fbailey 16y ago
there is no comparison - east germany had some kind of industry. The issue was privatization and modernisation. Also the population was very well educated and had watched west german TV for the last 30 years. North Korea has no industry and the population has no education. The unification will be between a high-tech 21st century developed country and the middle ages. The first thing they will have to do is take over the schools so that the next generation in 15 years has a chance to build this country. GDP 1990 West Germany in 1990 $24,485 East Germany in 1990 $10,430 (I'm not so sure about these figures but the direction is right)