South Korea Military theworldfactbook

Korea, South Military 2008

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved (to be reduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers (2007)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 12,483,677
females age 20-49: 12,014,462 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 10,115,817
females age 20-49: 9,721,914 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 344,943
females age 20-49: 312,720 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (2006)

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, South on this page is re-published from the 2008 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, South Military 2008 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, South Military 2008 should be addressed to the CIA.