User:BrendanMagee/Korean War

Geographic
The United States bombed many strategic locations in North Korea during the Korean war, including bridges, dams, and areas of large population concentrations. America dropped more bombs on Korea during the Korean war than they did in Asia during World War II. Buildings that faced the bombing of U.S. planes included factories, schools, and hospitals. One of the most critical pieces of North Korean society to be devastated by American bombing was the agricultural sector. The bombing of dams resulted in flooding which had repercussions for cropland and irrigation. American attacks reduced the amount of supplies farmers could get and use, which directly affected the amount of food that could be produced. The ability to farm was hindered by the presence of the United States Air Force in the sky, forcing some North Koreans to perform their farming activities during the night. The resulting famine was devastating to the North Korean people, with survival coming through the aid from both the Chinese and Soviets.

Human
The infrastructure of North Korea was heavily damaged, but so were their people - physically and mentally. U.S. reports at the time recorded 1,185,000 casualties from the North Korean opposition (including Chinese aid). The destruction of American bombings and their dominance in the airspace over Korea affected the daily life of Koreans not only during the war, but for some time after.

The impact of the war effort on United States veterans is expressed on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, listing "Cold Injuries", "Noise", and "Occupational Hazards" as the major adverse conditions that soldiers faced.

Economic
The monetary cost of the United States' efforts during the Korean War is another aspect that can reveal some of the trends in military spending. At the time it was estimated that America's efforts in the Korean War totaled $15 billion. This estimate, made by the Department of Defense, describes the cost of the war effort, including bombs, ammunition, and fuel.

Future World Standing
The psychological effects of facing such attacks from the United States has informed the current status of North Korea. North Korea was not able to defend itself against the U.S.' attacks, and was forced to submit to the bombing. Since the reconstruction of North Korea, the focus in attaining the technology and resources to amass nuclear weapons has created a North Korea which is much different from the one that was defenseless to U.S. bombing in the early 1950's.