Absolutely. Every country has its own ideosyncracies and we all struggle with 'representative democracy', but there is a whole lot to be said for being able to provide stability, growth and feed people. What S. Korea has accomplished in providing for its people over the last 55 years contrasts so dramatically with the disaster on the other side of the DMZ, given that the people otherwise share a common history and culture it has to be considered a n amazing success story. And there is no doubt it was accomplished in the face of a lot of forces - both from the North and from across the Yalu who, who wanted to see it fail.


>>>I was not aware that dicatators in Indonesia and S. Korea committed atrocities against their own people under the watchful eye of the US govt and nothing was done because the dictator was considered such an important cog in the fight against communism.
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>>But that is not because it was "covered up" Everyone who cared about it knew about it. Indifference is not the same as being the victim of a conspiracy to suppress knowledge.
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>The United States tolerated Park because S. Korea was improving under him and he was providing some stabilty. For once in Korea's history real economic push was happening. As brutal as he was to his critics and enemies, he is given credit for the rebuilding of S. Korea. Today S. Korea is the tenth largest economy in the world. Not bad for a tiny little country (~38,000 sq miles) and little over 50 years after a devestating war.