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The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
South Korea's military shrinks by 20% as low birthrate hits recruitment
South Korea's military has shrunk by 20% in the past six years, largely due to a sharp decrease in the population of men of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world's lowest birthrate, according to a report. The sharp decline in the pool of men available for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers and could result in operational difficulties, the defence ministry said in the report. The report was made to the ruling Democratic party member of parliament Choo Mi-ae, whose office released it. The size of South Korea's military has declined steadily since the early 2000s, when it had about 690,000 soldiers. The pace accelerated during the late 2010s and there are now about 450,000 troops. North Korea is believed to have an active-duty military of about 1.2 million, according to the latest estimate by the defence ministry in 2022. The population of 20-year-old men in South Korea declined between 2019 and 2025 by 30% to 230,000, according to government data. Twenty is the age when most men who pass a physical exam enlist for military service. South Korea is one of the world's fastest ageing societies and has the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.75 in 2024, which signifies the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life. Its population, which hit a peak of 51.8 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.2 million by 2072, according to a government projection. 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. Able-bodied men served 36 months in 1953 when the Korean war ended in an armistice. 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 ministry said. About 21,000 of the shortfall is in the non-commissioned officer ranks, it said.
7NEWS
20 hours ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
South Korea's military shrinks as male population drops
South Korea's military has shrunk by 20 per cent to 450,000 troops in the past six years, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service. The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service in the country with the world's lowest birth rate is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers, a report released on Sunday said. The shortfall could result in operational difficulty if it continued, the defence ministry said in the report. 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. North Korea is believed to have an active-duty military of about 1.2 million, according to the latest estimate by the defence ministry in 2022. From 2019 to 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 military has cited improved capabilities as a key reason for shortening service periods, made possible by a military alliance with the United States and the development of a defence industry that has become a major exporter of arms. Able-bodied men served 36 months in 1953 when the Korean War ended in an armistice. South Korea's defence budget, at more than 61 trillion won ($67.3 billion) in 2025, is larger than the estimated size of North Korea's economy. Still, the military is 50,000 troops short of the number required to maintain defence readiness, the ministry said. About 21,000 of the shortfall is in the non-commissioned officer ranks, it said. South Korea is one of the world's fastest-ageing societies and has the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.75 in 2024, which signifies the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life. Its population, which hit a peak of 51.8 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.2 million by 2072, according to a government projection.
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First Post
21 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
South Korea's military shrinks 20% in six years amid record-low birthrate
South Korea's military shrank by 20% in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world's lowest birth rate. read more South Korea's active-duty military has shrunk by 20% over the past six years to 450,000 troops, mainly due to a steep decline in the number of men eligible for the country's mandatory service, according to a defence ministry report released Sunday. The demographic squeeze is tied to South Korea's record-low birthrate, the lowest in the world which is straining recruitment and threatening operational readiness. The report, shared with Democratic Party lawmaker Choo Mi-ae, noted that the active military stood at about 563,000 in 2019, already down from roughly 690,000 in the early 2000s. Between 2019 and 2025, the population of 20-year-old males—the typical age for enlistment, fell by 30% to 230,000. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 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. North Korea is believed to have an active-duty military of about 1.2 million, according to the latest estimate by the defence ministry in 2022. In the period between 2019 and 2025, the population of 20-year-old males declined by 30% 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 military has cited improved capabilities as a key reason for shortening service periods, made possible by a military alliance with the United States and the development of a defence industry that has become a major exporter of arms. Able-bodied men served 36 months in 1953 when the Korean War ended in an armistice. South Korea's defence budget, at more than 61 trillion won ($43.9 billion) in 2025, is larger than the estimated size of North Korea's economy. Still, the military is 50,000 troops short of the number of troops adequate for maintaining defence readiness, the ministry said. About 21,000 of the shortfall is in the non-commissioned officer ranks, it said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD South Korea is one of the world's fastest ageing societies and has the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.75 in 2024, which signifies the average number of babies a woman is expected to have during her reproductive life. Its population, which hit a peak of 51.8 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.2 million by 2072, according to a government projection. With inputs from agencies
News18
a day ago
- Business
- News18
South Korea's Military Shrinks By 20% In Six Years As Male Population Declines
Last Updated: South Korea's military shrank by 20% in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age. South Korea's military has shrunk by 20 per cent over 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, which has the world's lowest birthrate, Reuters said, citing a report on Sunday. The sharp drop in the pool of eligible men for military service is also leading to a shortage of officers, the defence ministry noted in its report. If this trend persists, it could create operational challenges, the report warned. The report was made to the ruling Democratic Party member of parliament, Choo Mi-ae, whose office released it. South Korea's military strength has been gradually shrinking since the early 2000s, when it had roughly 690,000 troops. The decline quickened in the late 2010s, leaving about 563,000 active-duty soldiers and officers by 2019. North Korea is believed to have an active-duty military of about 1.2 million, according to the latest estimate by the defence ministry in 2022. The population of 20-year-old males declined by 30% to 230,000 between 2019 and 2025, 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 military attributes the reduction in service periods to enhanced capabilities, supported by its alliance with the United States and the growth of a defence industry that has emerged as a major arms exporter. In 1953, following the Korean War armistice, able-bodied men served a 36-month military term. In 2025, South Korea's defence budget exceeds 61 trillion won ($43.9 billion), surpassing the estimated size of North Korea's entire economy. Still, the military is 50,000 troops short of the number of troops adequate for maintaining defence readiness, the ministry said. About 21,000 of the shortfall is in the non-commissioned officer ranks, it said. South Korea, one of the fastest-ageing societies in the world, recorded the lowest global fertility rate in 2024 at 0.75, representing the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. Its population, which hit a peak of 51.8 million in 2020, is expected to shrink to 36.2 million by 2072, according to a government projection. (With inputs from Reuters) view comments First Published: August 10, 2025, 17:06 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
South Korea's military shrinks 20% in 6 years
South Korea's military shrank by 20 per cent in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world's lowest birth rate, a report said on Sunday. 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, the defence ministry said in the report. 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. North Korea is believed to have an active-duty military of about 1.2 million, according to the latest estimate by the defence ministry in 2022. 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.
