The male population has declined, and the size of the South Korean military has shrunk by 20% over the past six years

The report said that the size of the South Korean military has shrunk by 20% over the past six years and now only has 450,000 troops, mainly due to the sharp decline in the number of men reaching the age of compulsory military service.

Reuters reported that the South Korean Ministry of Defense pointed out in a report released on Sunday (August 10) that the sharp decline in the number of men available for military service has also led to a shortage of officers. If this situation persists, it may cause difficulties for military operations.

At the beginning of the 21st century, South Korea had approximately 690,000 soldiers, but the size of its military has been steadily declining in recent years. In the late 2010s, the rate of decline accelerated. In 2019, the number of active-duty soldiers and officers was approximately 563,000.

According to the latest estimate by the Ministry of Defense of North Korea in 2022, the number of active-duty military personnel in North Korea is approximately 1.2 million.

According to data from the South Korean government, the number of men aged 20 has decreased by 30% since 2019, dropping to 230,000. Most South Korean men enlist in the military after passing a physical examination at the age of 20, and their current military service period is 18 months.

South Korea's defense budget this year will exceed 61 trillion won. Despite this, the South Korean Ministry of Defense stated that the number of troops is still 50,000 less than what is needed to maintain national defense readiness. Among them, approximately 21,000 people are non-commissioned officers.

South Korea is one of the societies with the fastest aging rate in the world. Its fertility rate in 2024 is only 0.75, the lowest in the world.

According to government predictions, South Korea's population peaked at 51.8 million in 2020 and is expected to decrease to 36.2 million by 2072.