There is some question about how much NK/SK outcome disparity is due to economic penalties vs artificial support. For many decades after the Korean War, China’s economy wasn’t large enough to prop up North Korea.

One wonders, regardless of regime, how much better off North Korea would be if it similar trade opportunities as South Korea. Or how much worse South Korea might be without generous western economic aid.

UAE/Qatar/Saudi/Kuwait for example, are doing well on a per-capita GDP basis despite being absolute monarchies / authoritarian states. Perhaps their ruling families are a bit better than the Kim family, but perhaps the Kim family would have been better if they’d received similar levels of western support and constant access to top advisors instead of isolation.