When Burma had a Democracy, though it was troubled, their economy was healthy. Since the current military dictatorship took over, Burma, aka Myanmar, has experienced both oppression and poverty.

South Korea has a true democracy, and their economy is flourishing. North Korea has a dictatorship, with both oppression and  poverty, and now has the threat to its people, and the world, of another war. 

The pattern of oppression, general poverty, and war, is the pattern of dictatorship. True democracies don't start wars with other true democracies. The only exception I can think of was the brief skirmish between Argentina and England over the Falkland Islands.

There really is only one Korean people. Families are split between North and South. Reminds me of the two Germanys divided by the Cold War, with an East Berlin and a West Berlin, and that awful Wall. If that Wall and the Iron Curtain could come down without war, one might think that the two Koreas could be reunited peacefully.

The violence between Irish Catholics and Protestants has largely been calmed in Northern Ireland in recent years. The peace made between Egypt and Israel has held up during very tough times in the Middle East. Can the bargaining, negotiating, trading, and deal making that went on in those parts of the world be repeated in Korea? If not, Korea could stay divided indefinitely, with stress, tensions, and violence.

In any dispute, even in marriages, the choice is between making deals or having divorce, violence, or both.

How can peace and reunification come to the two Koreas? For sure, it won't be easy. The best way to start is with unofficial bargaining and deal offering. For example, representatives of China and the United States could first act as surrogates for the two Koreas at an informal meeting. Each hands over to the other a list of all the items desired as part of any settlement or resolution. Chances are that some items will appear on the lists of both sides. Others will require trading, negotiating, and deal making. Koreans will need to join the bargaining when the time is right. 

North and South can agree not to conduct any military "exercises" or set off any weaponry that could be interpreted as provocative by the other side. A declaration attesting to the oneness of the Korean people can be signed and published, and could possibly include the goal that there be just one Korean nation within twenty years or some other time frame.. Both sides can agree not to produce or house any nuclear weapons, and agree to having international inspection efforts verify such, at least once a year until the two Koreas are fully reunified.

Later on, or possibly when the above items are negotiated, in return for favorable trade status with the South, and with the rest of the world, the North may agree to have local democratic elections with regard to local leadership.

There must be guarantees to the leaders of the North that, if democracy is ever established in the North, and/or if reunification were to take place, the current and future leadership would be immune from arrest or from any punishment with regard to the years of non-democratic rule, nor would they be excluded from seeking election to public office. This is the same arrangement I recommend for Burma (Myanmar) in my book, The Peace Prescription.

There is an alternative: Violence, war, possible nuclear holocaust, fear, and terror on both sides, and continued oppression and poverty in the North.