[mg1982]

It's important to remember that up until 60 years ago they weren't in any way separate from one another, and up until 20-30 years ago when the south's economy took off, there was little material difference between how the two countries were run.

[curiously]

night and day difference. It makes me cringe when people try to group them up together. If they were indeed similar and identical they should've produced the same result but it hasn't, one is a failed state and will forever be noted as an embarrassment to human race, the other a thriving developed country.

North Korea even had a head start by a far margin. Up until 1970s, North Korea was pretty much the better equipped, better fed, and stronger military force.

South Korea would not have survived had it not had military dictatorship guarding against North Korean aggression both externally and internally (lot of bitter South Koreans wanting communism).