(First off, let me just say that a post about the political sex scandal of the decade is a hard act to follow. Damn.)

In the same week that South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki Moon has emerged as the front-runner for secretary general of the United Nations, North Korean nutjob Kim Jung-il has made a nuclear testing threat that has even China saying ”knock that shit off.”

South Korea continues rising into an elite group of wealthy and peaceful nations (on par with Japan, Canada and Western Europe), and seems to be increasing its share of political leadership as well. Hard to imagine that 50 years ago, South Korea was considered no more than a Third World country—as opposed to North Korea, which today may require a new category (Fourth World? Seventh?) to properly label its downward spiral.

We often cite the transformation of post-WWII Germany and Japan when looking for an example of successful nation-building, but Korea may be the best case yet for American intervention (military, political and economic) abroad. Still, before comparing South Korea to Iraq or Afghanistan, it’s important to keep in mind that Korea was invaded from the north by Chinese- and Soviet-backed proxies (as opposed to struggling with its own violent leadership), and the Koreans welcomed American assistance in the conflict (unlike the Vietnamese). In that regard, South Korea is more like Kuwait than Iraq—and last I checked, Kuwait seems to like us just fine.

So apparently, here’s the equation for boosting your nation’s standing in the world: be geographically pivotal, get invaded by a significant power that opposes the US, and welcome American forces and dollars with open arms.

Heads up, Monaco.