[underbrush]

Because South Korea is successful at what it does. If South Korea looked like Thailand it would be a different story. And that is part of why it doesn't.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is actually a good example. Just the other way around. What is happening to Russia is exactly what happens when you neglect your industry and population to the point that you no longer have enough of an advantage in equipment or people willing to fight. Something South Korea can't afford.

[vkou]

Ukraine as of the start of 2022 was significantly less developed than Russia. It was the poorest country in Europe, even behind other victims of Russian aggression, like Georgia and Moldova. [1] [2]

It just has the notable advantages of:

1. Being incredibly motivated to fight an existential defensive war.

2. Being the recipient of every surplus NATO armament under the sun. Its industrial capacity for war-making isn't located in within its borders.

It's true that Russia has significantly neglected its industry, but Ukraine has... Done the exact same thing. In a worse way, even - as despite inheriting a lion's share of Soviet industry, it didn't do anything with it.

(And to cycle back to North Korea, I'd like to point out that the economic rot in it is so deep, it's not even capable of feeding itself.)

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_in_Eu...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_in_Eu...