What if North Korea Did Not Exist?

[Frodo]

Could the United States have reconquered and reunited the Korean peninsula, even after the Chinese intervention? 

[Stranger in a strange land]

I've often wondered this as well. From what I've read, the two concerns were 1) the massive number of American and allied causalities that would result from pushing to the Yalu again, and 2) the threat that the Soviets would intervene directly, especially by invading Western Europe.

[Psychic Octopus]

Probably, we'd have to bomb China first though, and I wonder what that would lead too. I heard signs that Stalin wouldn't have retaliated, but who knows?

[The Mikado]

The real point for a successful change from reality would've been before China got involved.  After that point there was no reasonable way to "victory" short of all-out war with the PRC, which would've been unnecessary and stupid.

[Psychic Octopus]

The real point for a successful change from reality would've been before China got involved.  After that point there was no reasonable way to "victory" short of all-out war with the PRC, which would've been unnecessary and stupid.

Then no, I do not think true victory was possible.

[pogo stick]

The wrold would be at more peace. No North Korea. No Kim Jong Il (Whatever his name is)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Realistically, there are two ways that a divided Korea could have been avoided.

1. The UK and US tell Stalin, thanks but no thanks, but this is our war and gamble on the atom bomb knocking Japan out of the war.  In that situation all of Korea would end up under Allied occupation.

2. The USSR does not tun over South Korean to the Allies after it swept into the area after it declared war on Japan.  Of course had that happened, then likely the Cold War would have begun immediately, with the boundary of the Iron Curtain being different as well as the various exchanges of territory not taking place.

[Lahbas]

Truman could have gone ahead and used atomic weapons on China, or at least threatned to do so. That could have brought on World War III, however. If it was limited to strategic sites in Manchuria, there is a possibility that the US could have forced China to withdraw due to a lack of logistic support, which would in turn lead to the defeat of the North.

Even if the Soviet Union had intervened, it would not heavily effect the fighting in Korea, as most of their forces would then be concentrated in Europe. At the same time, they knew that such an intervention would have likely lead to their destruction by the American nuclear arsenal, which was mcuh larger then the meager Soviet one, who had only developed them 3 years prior.

[President Mitt]

The wrold would be at more peace. No North Korea. No Kim Jong Il (Whatever his name is)

Yeah because North Korea is definitely the only threat to World Peace.

[Хahar 🤔]

The wrold would be at more peace. No North Korea. No Kim Jong Il (Whatever his name is)

kthnxbye

[CatoMinor]

Without N. Korea we would miss out on one of the best movies ever, "Team America"

[RosettaStoned]

Yes, without an organized North Korean Government. You have to remember, Koreans are genetically predisposed to bad governance. Basically, if the United States ended all influence in the south, it would converge to northern norms.

[ag]

Yes, without an organized North Korean Government. You have to remember, Koreans are genetically predisposed to bad governance. Basically, if the United States ended all influence in the south, it would converge to northern norms.

This is a joke, right?

[minionofmidas]

You save yourself Vietnam by suffering your Vietnam ten years earlier, during the last ten years of the Korean War. Kim Il Sung rules a united Korea until his death. Eisenhower retires in 1956. This is ridiculously easy.

[RosettaStoned]

Yes, without an organized North Korean Government. You have to remember, Koreans are genetically predisposed to bad governance. Basically, if the United States ended all influence in the south, it would converge to northern norms.

This is a joke, right?

Yes.

[ag]

Yes, without an organized North Korean Government. You have to remember, Koreans are genetically predisposed to bad governance. Basically, if the United States ended all influence in the south, it would converge to northern norms.

This is a joke, right?

Yes.

The problem w/ this place, you can never be sure

[Bo]

The whole world, but especially the North Korean people, would be much better off.