South Korea military shrinks by 20% due to low birthrate
Summary
South Korea's military has reduced its size by 20% over the past six years, primarily due to a low birthrate, and now has about 450,000 personnel. Experts say at least 500,000 troops are needed to maintain defense readiness against North Korea, which has a much larger military.Key Facts
- South Korea's military personnel count is currently around 450,000.
- The decline represents a 20% decrease over six years, mainly because of a low birthrate (0.75 babies per woman).
- The low birthrate is the lowest in the world.
- South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea, which has about 1.3 million active-duty soldiers.
- South Korea's defense divisions decreased from 59 to 42 since 2006.
- The country plans a defense budget of over 60 trillion won for 2025.
- All able-bodied South Korean men must serve 18 months in the military, with some exceptions.
- Low birthrates may cut South Korea's population in half in 60 years.
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