South Korean military faces manpower crisis as birthrate plummets

Soldiers march during a military parade to celebrate South Korea's 76th Armed Forces Day in Seoul on 1 October 2024 - (AFP via Getty)

South Korea’s active military shrank 20 per cent in six years to 450,000 troops, with the defence ministry warning a declining pool of enlistment-age men was creating critical manpower gaps.

The shortfall, driven by the Asian country’s record-low birthrate of 0.75, left the military 50,000 soldiers under the level deemed necessary for defence readiness in 2025, the defence ministry said in a report on Sunday. More worryingly, it noted, there was a shortage of 21,000 non-commissioned officers.