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South Korea's military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops

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.

SEOUL: 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 birthrate, a report said on Sunday (Aug 10). 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. 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.

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