Civil-Military Relations within Health Services in Post-conflict and Peace

Activity: Talk or presentationInvited talk

Description

This presentation will start with a short summary of my observations from our papers and others on the impact of the Korean War on the health of the South Korean population and civil-military relations during and after the war. I will then look at developments in civil-military affairs, or ‘G5’, during World War 2 and suggest that this experience informed the United Nations construct for humanitarian relief and civil-military relations during the Korean War. Going forward, I will look at how these experiences influenced the US approach to civil-military affairs during the Vietnam War. The creation of the phrase ‘Hearts and Minds’ was also a feature of the British colonial wars in Malaya, Kenya, and Oman. This connection between counter-insurgency and government support to the civilian population re-emerged as a military concept during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; including the use military medical services to provide healthcare to civilian populations. The COVID crisis has been the most recent example of military forces, and military health services, directly supporting the civilian response to the COVID health emergency. Throughout this historical review, I will also highlight how Korean military health services have reflected these developments. In closing, I will argue that the military role in humanitarian response and their influence of the development of civilian health services after war have many constants in history.
Period15 Mar 2024
Event titleThe Korean War and Post-war Reconstruction
in Health and Medicine
Event typeConference
LocationSeoul, Korea, Republic ofShow on map