South Korea's Military Struggles with Manpower Shortage
Published on 8.10.25
South Korea's active-duty military has a significantly smaller force compared to its neighbor North Korea, with approximately 563,000 soldiers and officers in 2019, whereas North Korea is believed to have around 1.2 million active-duty personnel. The South Korean military has reduced the length of service from 36 months to 18 months due to improved capabilities made possible by a military alliance with the US and the development of its defence industry. Despite having a larger defence budget than North Korea's estimated economy, South Korea still faces a shortage of 50,000 troops to maintain adequate defence readiness.