It's hard to say, IMO, how much religions that start to spread and then get stomped on really would have spread. Maybe it would have just been a minority of the population that it really resonated with.

Khuutra -

If it was not for Chinese intervention in the Korean war, Korea would have been a unified, democratic nation celebrating 55+ years of harmony and peace.

Here's a quick rundown of the Korean War:

June 25th, 1950 - North Korea, authorized by China, invades the south and war ensues.
July 5th, 1950 - US/UN forces begin to aid South Korean forces in the region. South Korean forces retreat to the Pusan perimeter
August-September 1950 - Battle of Incheon. Desperate SK and UN/US forces defend the last remaining areas against NK aggression, and eventually cripple NK forces.
October 1st, 1950 - UN commands South Korean and UN forces past the 38th parallel, invading North Korea
October 19th, 1950 - Pyongyang liberated by UN/ROK forces
November 1st, 1950 - PLA forces cross into North Korean territory and begin 'War to Resist America and Aid Korea'. First battles take place deep into North Korean territory.

Major battles when China crosses the Yalu river include Ch'ongch'on River, Choson Reservor, and Kunuri.

By the time China enters the war, the UN had liberated/invaded/whatever 70-80% of modern-day North Korea. When China entered the war, millions died on both sides.

For a look at the front of the war: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Korean_war_1950-1953.gif

In October, 1951, the US enacted Operation Hudson Harbor - equipping our B29s in preparation for nuclear strikes against China. There were plans to use them, ala Japan in WW2, to end the war early, crippling Chinese forces.

I don't know. With everything that resulted from the war - the purges, what NK has done, ect, you wonder if stricter measures may have yielded better results. Of course, the best answer would have been China not getting involved at all, and not backing the NK aggression in the first place, less get in the war at all.

=/

I dunno... so you're saying it's just all mommentum? I dunno... I don't like your explanation... granted I haven't studied it at all, but it just seems like such an... unprofessional? explanation.

I'll look up some articles... ok actually not, lol, I don't care anymore, I'm not going to change the world, and I'm happy with being ignorant and happy. The most that'll happen is that I'll think that I know everything in the world, especially about the pain and sufferings of people so far away, and just throw cash around like a idiot, and join causes for the hell of it.

I hate movements and causes because it turns out to be a fad for the most part =/ How many hippies do you still see today? How many more protestors would we have gotten for the Iraq "war" if kids were forced to put their own neck on the line. What happened to all those yellow armbands?

I see fucking Lays potato chip using Arial font and "green movement" aesthetics to make their chips look more healthy. The news jumps on one story like the reporters in North Korea, and now you don't hear about it because it's all about Black America 2.

And don't get me wrong, I DON't stay up to date with all the events and whatever genocide that some snobby college kid comes up to me to tell about. That's why I exactly don't want to join those movement and causes, because I don't follow them, I don't care about them, and I don't want to pretend that I do. I fucking hate people who just do these things as a fad, and for self gratification, and then look down upon others who don't...

... Ok I went way off topic there

I duno.  In Japan Catholicsim spread to something like 300,000 followers, had full cities and converted many "noble" famlies. 

It got banned because it was seen as more dangerous then Buddism... when originally it was allowed because they hoped it would be a niche religion that would counterbalnce budishm.

Well, I have some passing familiarity with this subject, but you may well know more than me. 

Obviously it would have been a lot bigger than it was if it hadn't got stomped on, whether or not it was majority/minority.  Or ... there are "fad"-like religions, right?  Huge for a generation or so and then rapidly dwindle to a small minority?  Or is that just something I completely made up? 

Buddhism has nothing over Shinto as long as there are mikos XD

I've never heard of fad religions... but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

In truth I only know about this subject because of books I read after seeing a movie based on the Shimabara Rebellion.

Where the leader gets killed... then rises from the dead thanks to a pact with the devil and leads his zombie ex christians on a war of revenge vs the Tokugawa.

Good action movie really. 

That and it's interesting to see why Judiasm first spread.

Which was largely... religion used to be a case of "We beat you... so my god is better!" and everyone would just agree and convert.

However Judiasm was once saved by a miracle of sorts... which the people took as proof of religion.  Then when they later got conquered it was just seen as their god punnishing them.

And the gradual intolerance against christianity moves forward. And sadly the christian world is too fractured to do a damn thing about it.

O.o, what would they do, I'm kinda getting scared.

I don't know...

Uhhh, convert Jack Black?