Korean War

AD – MPE: 1.1

ND – MPE: 0.6

Both Koreas were dictatorships during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. But US support for South Korea was crucial. So I add 10 to 20 percent of the number of people killed by South Korea to the total number for democratic frontrunners.

White cites 8 estimates for the total number of people killed in the war, which range from 2.5 to 3.5 million. He considers 2 million to be the best estimate for the number of civilians killed by all sides.

Bruce Cumings writes in his book: “The Korean War – A History” that 0.4 million civilians were killed in South Korea and 1 million in North Korea. Most of the victims in the North were killed by a massive US bombing campaign, which destroyed 85 percent of North Korea’s buildings and 95 percent of its power generation.

The Wikipedia-entry “Bombing of North Korea 1950-1953” cites 5 estimates for the number of North Koreans killed, which range from 0.4 to 2 million, most of them civilians. I choose 1.05 million as the most plausible estimate. Plausible estimates for the number of innocent people killed by advanced democracies range from 0.5 to 2.1 million. I choose 1.1 million as the most plausible estimate. Plausible estimates for the number of people killed by nondemocracies range from 0.3 to 1 million. I choose 0.6 million as the most plausible estimate.