Desk Report,
South Korea’s military is shrinking, with fewer men
South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world. In addition, the number of men eligible to join the military is rapidly decreasing. As a result, the size of the South Korean military has decreased by 20 percent in the last six years. The current number of soldiers in the force stands at 450,000.
South Korea’s military is shrinking, with fewer men
The South Korean Ministry of Defense released a report on Sunday. It said that the reduction in the number of men in the military is causing a shortage of officer-level members. If this continues, it may become difficult to carry out any operations in the future. The size of the South Korean military began to decrease at the beginning of this century. At that time, there were 690,000 members in the force. The pace of this decrease accelerated in the late 20s. According to 2019 estimates, there were about 563,000 active soldiers and officers in the military.
Military service is mandatory in South Korea. According to government data, the number of 20-year-old men in the country decreased by 30 percent from 2019 to 2025. Most men join the military at this age after passing a physical exam. They have to serve in the military for 18 months.
When the Korean War ended in 1953, an able-bodied South Korean man had to serve in the military for 36 months. The country’s military says that its capabilities have now increased due to increased cooperation with the United States in the military sector. Therefore, the period of service of soldiers has been reduced.
North Korea has long had hostile relations with South Korea. North Korea is estimated to have about 1.2 million active military personnel. South Korea’s Ministry of Defense says it has a shortage of 50,000 soldiers. And there is a shortage of 21,000 non-commissioned officers.
