Hadisami8

I read somewhere that if North Korea and South Korea unite, aside from all the political and mindset differences, it would make Korea an extremely powerful player in the world market. Apparently cheap labour from the North could further increase the production in the richer south. Obviously there's the problem that in North Korea they seem to live in the closest you can get to George Orwell's 1984 and the infrastructure would need a drastic overhaul, but do you think that all the people would benefit?

What other countries would benefit from unification?

RusEvo

North Korea would have an exodus, and South Koreans could find themselves working for lower wages whilst paying to upgrade infrastructure. It doesnt sound like a straightforward proposition.

And what work would the northerners do (they may not have a lot of relevant skills for a modern economy).

sylla1

IMHO it would be more or less like in Germany; some immediate problems but an excellent business in the long run.

In any case, it seems simply inevitable that both halves of the same millennia-long nation with the same myriad families on both sides of the border will reunify sooner or later, IMHO more likely sooner.

Naomasa298

Well, which countries are presently divided?

sylla1

Actually an interesting question that is inevitably largely subjective, as the own identity (including any collective identity) is largely in the eye of the beholder.

E.g. from the contributors to an old thread here in Historum one would get the impression that a modern Anchluss between Germany and Austria wouldn't be terribly popular.

Lawnmowerman

Australia and New Zealand.

As soon as we finish our secret tunnel they will have no choice but to become part of the Mother Nation.

amberroberts09

Germany will be beneficial . I have read also that Australia and Germany are also one of those.

Koko the Monkey

Austria and Germany would become the undisputed powerhouse of Europe, though Austrians are too blinded by their nationalism and a refusal among older generations to admit to being Nazis would prevent this from ever happening. Still, if it did happen, Germany would become a borderline superpower.

Albania and Kosovo wouldn't change the balance of power in Europe or anything but they are both basically the same country so it would make sense to unite.

US and the Philippines would turn America into the undisputed dominant power in the Pacific, and give the Filipinos a huge upper hand in its disputes with China. It also would provide America with a large amount of cheap labor and a market to sell goods, while the Filipinos would finally get decent paying jobs.

China and Taiwan, but that would never happen unless the PRC became democratic.

funakison

I have a sneaking suspicion that the powers that be only agreed to German reunification on the condition that it didnt subsequently swallow Austria.

Shaheen

What about an Iberian Union ( )

Or maybe the islands in the West Indies. They do play under one flag in cricket, all hail the mighty Chris Gayle ( )