South Korea Has Upper Hand on North

The German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, and North Korea established themselves as socialist states after division agreements in 1945. But East Germany differed from its Asian peer in many ways. First of all, it never invaded the neighboring state, killed ministers of the government on the other side, or detonated nuclear devices. Although under strict socialist doctrine and communist leadership, hereditary power succession or prison camps did not exist in East Germany. No one died of starvation. The state had also been flexible toward detente. In 1970, state heads of East and West Germany had their first historic summit in the East German town of Erfurt. Thousands of East Germans marched near the hotel where West German Chancellor Willy Brandt was staying, rallying “Willy! Willy!” Such a scene would be unimaginable in Pyongyang.