My bad.
They're looking at anywhere from 2005-2010 when most if not all their modernizations will come online.
I doubt they'll need to by that time, given they way they're drawing in capital investment. Lenin once remarked: "the capitalist will gladly sell you the rope you hang him with;" Lenin was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one.
Things could change: invasion(check post 24.), economic collapse (a real, and scary possibility,) or some paranoid martinet taking over the controls, any of these would alter things, and probably bring on the other three. But if they keep their course, they might do very well.
Here's the question: what should we do? Should Japan get Nukes? How do the Korean markets stack up? What about the Philipines? Shouldn't we be promoting alternatives, or are these things already in motion?
My 2 cents.