In-Utero Exposure to the Korean War and Its Long-Term Effects on Economic and Health Outcomes

Prenatal exposure to the disruptions caused by the Korean War (1950-1953) negatively affected individual socioeconomic and health outcomes at older ages. The educational attainment and labor market performance of the subjects of the 1951 birth cohort, who were in utero during the worst time of the war, were significantly lower in 1990 and 2000. The results of difference-in-difference estimations suggest that the magnitude of the negative cohort effect is significantly larger for individuals who were more seriously traumatized by the war. As for health outcomes, the 1950 male birth cohort exhibited a significantly higher disability rate in 2005. Women married to the men in the 1950 birth cohort are more likely to be disabled at old age. If potential selections in pregnancy, birth, and survival are considered, the negative effects of the war may be even greater than suggested in this study. The long-term effects of in-utero circumstances differ by gender. This difference may be partly attributed to the strong population selection for the 1951 female cohort and the potent influence of the husband’s health status over a woman’s own health. Different aspects of human capital (e.g., health and cognitive skills) were impaired by in-utero exposure to the war, depending on the stage of pregnancy when the negative shocks were experienced.