Statistics from Korea Statistics Bureau show that in 20 18 years, 320,000 newborns were born in Korea, and the average number of children born by Korean women in their lifetime was 0.98, a record low. This figure is far below the 2. 1 required to ensure population stability, that is, to keep the population at 5 1 10,000.
The continuous decline in the birth rate of newborns is likely to lead to a sharp decline in the number of men of school age joining the army. In 2009, there were 29 1 000 men who participated in reserve training, but last year the number dropped to 253,000. In addition, in 20 17, there were about 350,000 men in their twenties in Korea, and it is expected that the number will be reduced to 250,000 in 2022, which will pose a great challenge to the recruitment work.
Therefore, in 20 17, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense and the Military Affairs Department were revising the draft regulations to reduce the physical requirements for recruiting active servicemen. According to the revised recruitment standards, the government will recruit new recruits according to a new set of physical examination standards, and many indicators are lower than before, such as weight and blood pressure.
The Military Affairs Department and other institutions predict that South Korea will face great difficulties in recruiting active servicemen around 202 1, so the new recruitment standards should be revised as soon as possible before 202 1, and then implemented as soon as possible, otherwise it may have a certain impact on the personnel structure and overall combat effectiveness of the army.