Seoul, 2022

Earth is in ruins.  A massive earthquake in the Yellow Sea decimates Korea, China, and Japan.  Tsunamis wreck islands in the South China Sea, including Taiwan. Over a million people die. With widespread destruction, nations deploy their militaries in order to provide aid.  In South Korea, the army rushes south, where the damage is concentrated.  Sensing an opportunity, North Korea decides to invade.  The South Korean military is split and unable to stop their advance.  The UN condemns the North Korean attack but China dissents.  In a surprise move, China invades Taiwan, seeking to claim it as its own once and for all.  Western nations such as the United States pledge to defend Taiwan and South Korea.  However, they are too far away to actively help.  Before any response can be formed, Taiwan falls.  Seoul falls to the North soon after.  South Korea is nearly overrun.  Near Busan, the South Korean military sets up their last stand.  US forces finally reach the Korean peninsula.  Too late to defend Taiwan, the US and other South Korean allies mount a furious defense of Busan.  North Korea cannot stand against such force and slowly, they are driven back.  A desperate Kim Jong Un decides to use the ace in his sleeve.  He nukes Busan.  With this act of aggression, most of the rest of the world allies against the North, except for China and Russia, who threaten nuclear retaliation should North Korea be nuked.  It is too late.  The US obliterates Pyeonyang with an atom bomb of their own.  Missiles fly from Russia and China towards Europe and the United States.  Most are destroyed on route by a secret US missile defense program.  However, three bombs make it through, destroying Washington D.C., New York, and London, .  The retaliation is swift and severe.  Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Moscow, St. Petersburg are leveled.  Spy satelites discover hidden nuclear arsenals, which are targeted before their weapons can be launched.  The resulting explosions are so enormous, they trigger enormous earthquakes all across the world.  

The massive destruction leads China to ask for peace.  But before a treaty can be signed, a Chinese missile submarine is found by the American navy in the Pacific Ocean.  Its commander, sensing the hopelessness of his situation, orders that all nuclear missiles on board be launched.  Only 1 is launched before the submarine is destroyed, but the one missile destroys Los Angeles.  Determined to punish its enemies, the United States refuses to sign a peace treaty, and redirects its military efforts to invade China.  With the US unwilling to agree to peace, war becomes the new reality in Asia.