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South Korea’s military shrinks 20% in six years, faces 50,000-troop shortage amid record-low birth rate
Published on: Aug. 10, 2025, 3:09 p.m. | Source: Firstpost
South Korea’s active-duty military has shrunk by 20% over the past six years to 450,000 troops, a defence ministry report revealed. The decline, driven by the world’s lowest birth rate and a shrinking pool of eligible males for mandatory service, has left the armed forces 50,000 troops short of optimal readiness
