Declining Military Personnel Amid Defense Reform, Reduced to 450,000
The Republic of Korea's military personnel have decreased to the 450,000 range. This represents a serious situation where the minimum required personnel size of 500,000, deemed necessary during a truce, was already breached two years ago, with an additional drop of 50,000.
Significant changes are also occurring in military structure as 17 units at the division level or above are being disbanded or integrated during the defense reform process.
According to data released on the 10th by the office of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee member Choo Mi-ae from the Democratic Party, an analysis of information submitted by the Ministry of National Defense and the Military Manpower Administration revealed that the number of active-duty personnel in the Armed Forces plummeted from 560,000 in 2019 to 450,000 by July 2025.
This indicates a decrease of 110,000 within just six years. The situation is particularly severe among Army soldiers, whose numbers dropped by over 100,000 from 300,000 to 200,000 during the same period.
Concerns over declining birth rates and national defense capability
With the relaxation of military service standards, the active-duty classification rate increased from 69.8% in 2019 to 86.7%, rising by 16.9 percentage points. However, these measures appear inadequate to resolve the personnel shortage caused by low birth rates.
The selection situation for military officers is also at a concerning level.
The officer selection rate, which was around 90% in 2019, fell drastically to about 50% last year. This not only complicates the securing of long-term service personnel but also suggests potential disruptions in overall unit operations.
As part of defense reforms to respond to decreasing personnel, military unit restructuring is taking place.
The number of units at the division level or above, which was 59 in 2006, has now reduced to 42, resulting in the disbanding or integration of a total of 17 units.
Combat units (infantry and mechanized) and mobilization units, mainly located in Gangwon Province and northern Gyeonggi Province, are being dismantled, with the Army's 28th Infantry Division, stationed in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, scheduled for disbandment in November.
Choo Mi-ae pointed out that in order to overcome this situation, "the phased introduction of the 'selective conscription system,' improvement of service conditions, and establishment of a combined manned and unmanned combat system, as promised by the president during the election campaign, are necessary."
As the trend of military personnel decline due to low birth rates continues, there is an urgent need for new alternatives to maintain national defense capabilities.
Image source: News1
