Extreme weather events and military conflict over seven centuries in ancient Korea
Open accessAbstract
Significance: We examine the link between extreme weather events and interstate conflict using data covering the three ancient kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula over seven centuries. Extreme weather events, such as drought and heavy rainfall, have a direct causal effect on conflict, but this effect is asymmetric: Shocks are far more likely to give rise to opportunistic invasions (where the state experiencing the shock is attacked) than to desperate invasions (where the state experiencing the shock initiates attack). We identify food insecurity as a critical source of vulnerability. Since climate change is leading to increased frequency of extreme weather events, a better understanding of the implications for labor-intensive armed conflict can help with mitigation strategies.
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Climate-induced food shortages increased the risk of conflict when climate variation undermined agricultural production in agriculture-dominated societies and economies.
“For example, Zhang et al (2007) and Jun and Sethi (2021) showed that climate-induced food shortages increased the risk of conflict when climate variation undermined agricultural production in agriculture-dominated societies and economies.”
From The impacts of climate change on violent conflict risk: a review of causal pathways (2024) · cites this paper as Jun and Sethi 2021
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- Authors
- Jun, T., & Sethi, R.
- Affiliations
- Kyung Hee University (KR)
- Santa Fe Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Jun, Tackseung
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2021-03-15
- Volume
- 118
- Issue
- 12
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC8000020
- OpenAlex
- W3138183064
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 3.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Environmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Political Conflict and Governance
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Climate change impacts on agriculture
- Keywords
- extreme weather events, interstate conflict, ancient Korea, Goguryeo, Silla, Baekje, drought, heavy rainfall, food insecurity, climate shocks, climate and conflict, climate change mitigation
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