Re:The dystopian underworld of South Africa’s illegal gold m...
by dredmorbius on Thursday February 23, 2023 @03:03AM
(#34908061)
South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan were benefited hugely by becoming significant considerations within the US Cold War calculus against both the Soviet Union and China.
There was both direct engagement through defence spending and presence, as well as policy designed to specifically encourage trade relations with the US and Europe. That hit critical mass in the 1960s (Japan) and 1970s/80s (Korea).
All three regions were otherwise strongly unified culturally had had relatively little history of colonisation (arguably less so for Korea, which had in fact been occupied by Japan, than Japan or Taiwan).
There was both direct engagement through defence spending and presence, as well as policy designed to specifically encourage trade relations with the US and Europe. That hit critical mass in the 1960s (Japan) and 1970s/80s (Korea).
All three regions were otherwise strongly unified culturally had had relatively little history of colonisation (arguably less so for Korea, which had in fact been occupied by Japan, than Japan or Taiwan).