U.S. news outlet CNN has raised concerns about South Korea’s low birth rate predicting that it could pose difficulties in maintaining military personnel.
On the 29th (local time), CNN pointed out the issue of a shortage of military resources in South Korea due to population decline in an article titled “South Korea’s New Enemy: Population Estimation”.
The broadcaster stated, “South Korea maintains about 500,000 troops to guard against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, but with a total fertility rate of 0.78 per woman, ‘population arithmetic’ could become South Korea’s biggest enemy.”
South Korea’s current military personnel stands at 500,000 and to maintain this number, 200,000 people need to enlist each year. However, the number of births last year was just 250,000. As only men are required to enlist in the military under the current system, the resources for enlistment are significantly lacking when the gender ratio is taken into account. Particularly due to the low birth rate, the number of newborns is expected to decrease annually with 220,000 in 2025 and 160,000 in 2072.
CNN criticized the South Korean government’s decision to reduce the number of military personnel to under 500,000 by last year as a ‘wrong assumption’. It emphasized that this reduction in essential military personnel is happening amidst ongoing security threats from North Korea.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that South Korea is considering expanding its reserve forces and female military resources to address the shortage of military personnel.
By. Tae Hun Kim
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