(Yonhap Interview) 'Fundamental' overhaul of military service system vital for nat'l security: MMA chief

The head of South Korea's Military Manpower Administration, Hong So-young, has emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive overhaul of the country's military service system to ensure national security in the face of a shrinking pool of conscripts. This comes amid a demographic cliff where the number of men in their 20s has dropped from 371,000 in 2015 to around 224,000 in 2025, and is projected to fall to as low as 120,000 by 2043.

Hong stressed that the overhaul is not a choice but an indispensable task for South Korea's national security and survival, highlighting the need to craft measures that earn broad consensus and public trust. The government is in the final stage of reviewing reform measures for the alternative military service system, which accounts for about 10 percent of all conscripts, with a focus on boosting active-duty personnel and potentially allowing those in non-combat roles to apply for full-time reserve positions.

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