Want to know the difference between communism and capitalism? You don't need a history book. Look no further than the Korean Peninsula. In 1953 the Korean War came to ceasefire and one country became two. Same people. Same language. Same history. Same starting line. The North chose communism. The South chose capitalism. Here is the scorecard 72 years later. ECONOMY - South Korea: 14th largest economy in the world. - North Korea: 150th. - Per person, South Korea ranks 37th. North Korea ranks 214th. - In 2025 South Korea exported $709.7 billion in goods. A record. - North Korea's total trade with China, its biggest partner, was $2.7 billion. - South Korea exports that much in less than a day and a half. HEALTH - South Korea: #5 in the world for life expectancy. - North Korea: #136. - Be born north of the line and you lose 10 years of life. - A North Korean child is 6 times more likely to die before age 5. FOOD - The UN says about 46% of North Koreans are undernourished. - That is nearly 12 million people. TECH - South Korea: #4 most innovative country on Earth. - Two South Korean companies make 70% of the world's memory chips. - South Korea sold $173 billion in chips last year alone. - 97% of South Koreans are online. - In North Korea, fewer than 10,000 people can reach the internet. That is less than 0.1% of the country. LIGHTS - Look at the peninsula from space at night. - South Korea glows. - North Korea is almost completely dark. Even the capital is a dim dot. FREEDOM - Freedom House scores South Korea 83 out of 100. - North Korea scores 3. One of the lowest on Earth. EXPORTS - South Korea gives the world Samsung, Hyundai and Blackpink. - North Korea gives the world rockets… crappy ones. Same people. Same land. Different system. Watch the line.