POLITICS
South Korea Faces Troop Shortage as Military Shrinks by 20% in Six Years
South Korea’s military has undergone a sharp reduction in size, shrinking from 563,000 active personnel in 2019 to just 450,000 in 2025, marking a 20% drop in only six years.
According to a Defence Ministry report released by MP Choo Mi-ae’s office, the decline stems from the world’s lowest birthrate—0.75 in 2024—which has significantly reduced the pool of 20-year-old men eligible for mandatory military service. Between 2019 and 2025, this population fell by 30%, from 330,000 to 230,000.
The shortage is affecting both enlisted soldiers and officers, leaving the military 50,000 personnel short of optimal readiness levels—21,000 of them being non-commissioned officers.
Despite its reduced troop size, South Korea maintains a strong defence budget of over 61 trillion won ($43.9 billion) and relies on advanced weaponry and its alliance with the United States to maintain security. However, with neighbouring North Korea fielding an estimated 1.2 million active soldiers, the manpower gap raises questions about future operational capability.