Retreats, Advances and Civilian Killings during the Korean War

Despite being the second most deadly conflict since the Second World War, surprisingly few studies in political science have analysed civilian killings during the Korean War.

Dr Seunghoon Chae’s three-year-long Leverhulme Trust-funded project seeks to address this and answer why civilians are killed during conflict in general and how the state’s military capacity influences the use of violence against civilians.

He will do so using the Korean War as a case study, drawing on data on civilian killings during the conflict.

Owing to multiple shifts in the frontline, the Korean War presents a unique opportunity to compare the effects of advancing and retreating troops. Furthermore, the war involved numerous instances of civilian-to-civilian killings, which have – to date - been insufficiently studied in literature.

It is hoped the findings could inform policymakers to minimise civilian deaths during future conflicts.