About time Korea got in. It was strange they had such ambiguity with so many investors there interested, and the various exchanges etc.
China will take longer, because politicians there are even stronger, but its only a matter of time. Let them be surrounded and notice how wealth goes to others instead, for them to finally get it.
Blocking bitcoin means blocking wealth, pure and simple. The politicians that don't get it by words, will get it by numbers.
Lets just say Korea now has acquired an additional competitive advantage over China.
Of course it depends on their levels of "regulation". The more the State meddles in, the less effective. Such as that 20% tax... not good.
I think you're underestimating the very nature of the Chinese government. They aren't known for allowing their citizens to control anything that they would rightfully own in other countries, and I don't think they would be prepared to give a decentralised cryptocurrency the green light any time soon. Maybe, in the future if there are big changes internally for China, but currently their country looks to impose control of its population in every sector possible.
They will, for the same reason they opened their economy rather than continue the dogmatic socialist centralized nonsense. Sure it won't be quick, last time it wasn't until Mao Zedong died, that Deng Xiaoping started the economic reforms. Perhaps some remaining old dinosaurs need to go, or perhaps a revolution would occur like you suggest.
Thing is the economic disadvantage of refusing bitcoin is going to matter, and just like some other countries took and are still taking their time, they will end admitting defeat because the reality (numbers) talk better than the politicians.
And, its not like they don't have internal pressure. Things under an oppressive regime simply take much longer, but eventually they will find it useless to resist, like they found useless to oppose capitalism and ended embracing it, so will they embrace Bitcoin, even if they oppose it at first.
Note that bitcoin is controlled by no one, no govs, no institutions, no banks, no millionaires. The code governs it, and you know how hard it is to change its rules without everyone approving. So its not like the citizens would "control it" either. Very likely they will adopt a ton of useless regulation that seem to appease the average politician. If anything, its about the government losing control over the money, and that is good because that way things remain transparent and clear. If you over-budget, fix it without ruining everyone's money, that practice has to end.