The Impact of Maturation of Democracy on Human Rights, Military Deaths, and Military Suicides : Evidence for Republic of Korea Military from 1973 to 2016

We conducted an intervention time series analysis to examine the impact of democratization on human rights, military deaths, and suicides in the Republic of Korea (ROK) military. Our findings indicate that while the maturation of democracy significantly reduced military deaths and improved human rights, it had no substantial effect on military suicides. This study fills a gap in the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on how democratic transitions influence military outcomes over a 44-year period. By analyzing data from 1973 to 2016, we demonstrate the role of democratization movements and presidential elections in shaping military practices and policies related to human rights and soldier welfare.