Archival study demonstrates that Scandinavian medical assistance modernized healthcare infrastructure in South Korea, highlighting early Cold War health diplomacy.
This article examines the role of three Scandinavian countries – Sweden, Norway and Denmark – in shaping the post-war health landscape in South Korea. During the Korean War, these nations provided crucial medical assistance to United Nations Forces and civilians. After the war, they contributed to the establishment of the National Medical Centre, supplying equipment and collaborating with Korean counterparts to enhance medical education. By analysing primary sources from multiple archives, the article argues that this collaboration not only improved health and welfare in South Korea but also influenced the global health order during the Cold War.
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Lee et al. (2026) studied this question.
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