PC: Korean-Japanese Cold War post-1945

[KuboCaskett]

It is no secret that Korea and Japan (or rather both Koreas and Japan) have a lot of beef with each other since the Imjin War in the late 16th century and it seems like they'll remain rivals for years, even decades, but what if they became rivals on par with Saudi Arabia vs. Iran in that they back their respective proxies against each other and even come close to war with each other directly (note that comparison, as in at least a regional rivalry, not necessarily on par with the US vs. USSR rivalry for obvious reasons)? How plausible can that work given the Cold War circumstances?

One POD I can come up is North Korea getting lucky in defeating the South and the UN forces early on in 1950 (on account of a certain US fighter plane not bombing a secret HQ of the KPA near Pusan in early August) and being able to reunite the Korean peninsula by the end of the year, with the South being confined to Jeju. This results in Japan rearming to bolster the US line of defense against communism and in response, China and the USSR ally further with Korea to fund communist and independent forces around the world and Japan works with the US and its allies in confronting them, rebuilding and expanding an empire of sorts around the world in the process (but not necessarily being un-democratic nor hostile to the US again).

 

[Monk78]

Japanese nationalism run amok in 70s and 80s
Rearming of japan more aggressively than in OTL
Japanese nuclear weapons program
South Korea winning the Korean War and forming a right wing dictatorship hostile to japan

 

[KuboCaskett]

Bump.

Japanese nationalism run amok in 70s and 80s
Rearming of japan more aggressively than in OTL
Japanese nuclear weapons program
South Korea winning the Korean War and forming a right wing dictatorship hostile to japan

The top part, I'm not sure unless you're referring to the economy which was going well at the time; the rest are quite doable for the most part.

 

[walmart]

South Korea winning the Korean War and forming a right wing dictatorship hostile to japan

Both have bigger issues in the form of China and the Soviet Union.

 

[Jono]

Japanese nationalism run amok in 70s and 80s
Rearming of japan more aggressively than in OTL
Japanese nuclear weapons program
South Korea winning the Korean War and forming a right wing dictatorship hostile to japan

That all requires the US abandoning both countries to result in all out war. It's partly why they still and always will have bases in both countries because they still hate each other. Also this;

Both have bigger issues in the form of China and the Soviet Union.

And that'll be another thing to keep the US around, basically preventing the above scenario.

 

[Alex1guy]

North Korea does something dumb or gets caught abducting Japanese citizens in the 70s or 80s and accidentally gets into a breif skirmish with the JSDF Navy or coast guard? Nothing big but maybe?

 

[Monk78]

North Korea does something dumb or gets caught abducting Japanese citizens in the 70s or 80s and accidentally gets into a breif skirmish with the JSDF Navy or coast guard? Nothing big but maybe?

Any disputed islands between any of the koreas and japan?

 

[Alex1guy]

Any disputed islands between any of the koreas and japan?

There the liancourt rocks, which are apparently claimed by both Koreas and Japan, but they are owned by S. Korea since after WWII. Japan would have to be the aggressor but beyond some national pride I don't think they are worth a fight over. They're literally rocks with a few fishermen, a small garrison and a nature preserve.