Key points
- Decline is causing a shortfall in the number of officers
- S Korea’s military has steadily dropped since the early 2000s
- S Korea’s army has cited improved capabilities as a key reason for shortening service periods
SEOUL: South Korea’s military shrank by 20 per cent in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp decline in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world’s lowest birthrate, according to Reuters.
Reuters cited the country’s defence ministry as saying, “The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers and could result in operational difficulty if it continues”.
According to the Guardian, the report was made to the ruling Democratic party member of parliament Choo Mi-ae, whose office released it.
South Korea’s military has steadily declined since the early 2000s when it had about 690,000 soldiers. The pace accelerated during the late 2010s, and there were about 563,000 active-duty soldiers and officers in 2019, according to Reuters.
Population of 20-year-old males
In the period between 2019 and 2025, the population of 20-year-old males declined by 30 per cent to 230,000, according to government data, the age when most men who pass a physical exam enlist for military service, which is now 18 months long.
The country’s armed forces have cited improved capabilities as a key reason for shortening service periods, made possible by a military alliance with the US and the development of a defence industry that has become a big exporter of arms, according to the Guardian.
South Korea’s defence budget, at more than 61tn won (£33bn) in 2025, is larger than the estimated size of the North’s economy.
Still, the country’s military is 50,000 troops short of the number deemed adequate for maintaining defence readiness, the Guardian cited the ministry as saying. About 21,000 of the shortfall is in the non-commissioned officer ranks, it further said.
