I don't think they are. Honestly, I see very little change in the leadership of Iran. It seems to be the same line of thinking for the most part.
South Korea was offered the benefits of an alliance with the West, giving them access to Western markets and technology. Iran will never be offered such an option as long as it is not on friendly terms with Israel. Iran may try its best to improve its relations with the United States, but without Israel, it will be futile. Anti-Israel sentiments are a core part of the current system's ideology and it will not change without a regime change.
Iran did have an economic boost after the Iraq-Iran war, particularly when Mohammad Khatami became the President and Iran decided to pursue a reformist approach to mend its ties with the West. It was working quite well for us but it didn't last long, unfortunately.