After its partition and the failed invasion of the South, the hermit kingdom of North Korea has become the most militarized and headline state on Earth. Allocating citizen’s funds directed to hereditary autocracy, Pyongyang has amassed one of the world’s largest militaries with vast artillery stocks and nuclear weapons. The increasingly rogue actions have even made traditional allies like China concerned.

Despite not having a military the size of the North, South Korea has made strides to prepare for another potential showdown. Not only having a permanent American military presence as deterrence, but the rising defense industry of Seoul has also put the South at the forefront of geopolitics that the Kim regime cannot compete with.

Background

When the Korean War ensued, Pyongyang was heavily armed by the Soviet Union and China, with most of those Cold War era stockpiles remaining in their service today. Under Kim Jong Un, the North has indiscriminately fired ballistic missiles as a show of force, with some flying directly over Japan to international condemnation. Already isolated, the North continued to be a pariah and was only seen as a useful buffer against a pro-democratic Korea by the CCP. The South would immediately take advantage of the Kim regime’s failed foreign policies.