The surprise move sent shockwaves through the country, which had a series of authoritarian leaders early in its history but has been considered democratic since the 1980s. The Korean won was down sharply against the U.S. dollar.

There was a credible threat of peace that was about to break out. That makes makes line not go up as fast.

in their desperate hubris and constant need for war, the denial of a full blown proxy war amongst the empire's proxies leads to civil war inside those proxies over the degree of proxy and thus loyal to the Empire they are.