[Constantine XI Palaeologus]

If we're talking about historical hegemony, Korea'd do well to remember that China dominated them for a good deal of their history. The same goes for much of Asia. The Vietnamese still remember Chinese domination, and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't want a return to that past.

Apart from a few pirates here and there and the brief moment of expansionism, Japan has left well enough alone for most of its history. Unless I'm forgeting something. :)

[diesel00]

If we're talking about historical hegemony, Korea'd do well to remember that China dominated them for a good deal of their history.

Chinese domination of Korea in history was rarely militarial. For the most part it was an economic and cultural domination. The few times that China interfered with Korea were mainly China choosing sides among various Korean kingdoms.

Japan has left well enough alone for most of its history. Unless I'm forgeting something. :)

You clearly forgot Hideyoshi's brutal military campaigns against Korea during the 16th century. Japan since the 1400s has had its eye on Northeast Asia, repeatedly invading the Korean peninsula with a desire to rule over continental China. Diaries from Japanese rulers from the 16th century clearly state their intentions of establishing a Japanese-dominated empire in Beijing, to overthrow the ruling Manchus. World War II was not an isolated incident for Japan, but one of nearly half a dozen failed attempts by the Japanese. The Japanese believed strongly that China under the Manchus was no longer the Classical China that the Japanese admired, and thus it was the Japanese's "duty" to restore the lost values of Ancient China. This thinking was ironically used during the 20th century by both the Japanese and the Chinese nationalists.