Latest news with #active-duty
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
South Korea's birth rate battles erode its military might: ‘still relatively large'
As South Korea 's troop numbers dwindle to levels unseen in decades, fears are growing that the country's ability to deter Pyongyang and secure its heavily fortified border with the nuclear-armed North may be slipping at a moment of heightened regional uncertainty. According to a Defence Ministry report released last Sunday, the South Korean military has shrunk by 20 per cent over the past six years, with active-duty personnel now numbering around 450,000 – down from about 690,000 soldiers in the early 2000s. Officials say the decline has been driven by a precipitous drop in the number of young men eligible for mandatory service: mainly the result of a deep demographic crisis This is despite all able-bodied men being required to serve at least 18 months in the military between the ages of 18 and 28. Those in the navy serve for 20 months, while those in the air force serve for 21 months. Civilians take part in a marine summer boot camp in South Korea's North Gyeongsang province last month. Military service is compulsory for able-bodied Korean men. Photo: Yonhap/EPA Though investments in advanced weaponry may compensate to a degree, this 'has its limits', as one analyst put it. The shortfall is already being felt on the ground. The Defence Ministry estimates that the military is 50,000 personnel below the threshold required for full operational readiness, with non-commissioned officer ranks particularly depleted. The most pressing issue? A severe shortage of troops to patrol the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, according to Jin Hwal-min, an assistant professor of political science at Chonnam National University in Gwangju.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
South Korea military shrinks as population declines
South Korea's military has shrunk to about 450,000 people - a decline of 20% over the last six years, according to a defense ministry report released on say the main reason behind the decline is the country's dismal birth rate, which at 0.75 babies per woman is the world's Korea retains compulsory military service mainly because the country is still technically at war with its nuclear-armed neighbour, North Korea.A study published by South Korean researchers in July had suggested that the country would need at least 500,000 soldiers to defend against an attack from the North, which is believed to have 1.3 million active-duty members. The difference in military sizes put South Korea in a "structurally difficult position to succeed in defence", the study said. It also noted that South Korea needed "decisive action at the national level" to maintain at least 500,000 to the defense ministry report on Sunday, the number of divisions in South Korea's military has dropped from 59 to 42 since 2006 - with the units either disbanded or merged with one Korea has been increasing its defence budget in response to rising geopolitical tensions in the region. Its defence budget for 2025 stands at more than 60 trillion won ($43bn; £32bn) - more than North Korea's South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve 18 months of military service, although rare exceptions are made - and deferments are sometimes service is unpopular with many men in the country, with some critics arguing that the system disrupts the careers of young men. The debate surrounding the issue has also become inextricably linked to conversations around gender equality. Some conservatives have argued that female citizens should also be conscripted amid the country's looming demographic crisis. The country has repeatedly broken its own record for having the world's lowest birth rate: 0.98 babies per woman in 2018, 0.84 in 2020, 0.72 in 2023 and 0.75 in 2024. If this trend continues, experts warn the country's population of 50 million could halve in 60 years.
