Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday called for a broad overhaul of South Korea’s military structure, warning that the armed forces must adapt to both a shrinking pool of conscripts and a rapidly changing battlefield shaped by drones and other low-cost technologies.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Ahn said South Korea is now confronting what had long been discussed as a future risk: a demographic cliff that is beginning to directly affect national security.
“New warfare trends are expanding, with asymmetric patterns — in which cheap drones neutralize high-priced advanced weapons — becoming the norm,” Ahn said.
“At the same time, the demographic cliff that has long been discussed is now approaching as a security reality.”
Ahn pointed to South Korea’s falling birth rate as a key reason military reform can no longer be delayed, warning that the current conscription structure will face a sharp drop in available manpower in the coming years.
Against that backdrop, Ahn said the Defense Ministry is redesigning the military by treating force, troop and operational structures as a single reform package.
He said the government aims to finalize a reform blueprint after a defense reform seminar later this month and a Cabinet meeting in June, with presidential approval targeted for the third quarter.
Ahn particularly highlighted what he described as a “selective conscription system,” stressing that it would not allow eligible men to opt out of military service.
Under the envisioned system, conscripts would still enter mandatory service, but some could choose to serve up to four or five years as skilled noncommissioned officers specializing in advanced technologies and weapons systems.
According to Ahn, the ministry is considering building a force of around 50,000 technology-oriented NCOs to operate advanced weapons over longer periods and link their experience to post-service careers.
Ahn also outlined a restructuring of frontline operations, saying the military aims to reduce troop-heavy guard missions by introducing artificial intelligence-based surveillance systems and shifting away from the current linear concept of border defense.
He said the ministry is considering reducing troops assigned to guard duty along the General Outpost line near the Demilitarized Zone to about 6,000 using AI-based monitoring, while keeping more than 16,000 troops in rear areas ready for rapid deployment.
The ministry is also reviewing outsourcing some rear-area base security functions and transferring coastal surveillance duties to the Coast Guard, allowing the military to focus more on combat missions.
Ahn also emphasized improving the treatment of junior officers and NCOs, saying attracting and retaining talent will be essential as the military becomes more technology-intensive.
“Even advanced science and technology are ultimately handled by people,” he said.
The government is in close consultation on a plan to significantly improve pay and welfare for junior cadres by 2029, with projected annual salaries reaching around 40 million won ($27,000) for staff sergeants, 50 million won for sergeants first class and 60 million to 70 million won for master sergeants.
Ahn said such measures are aimed at making military service a more attractive career path, with conditions comparable to or above those at midsized companies. Additional support measures, including a new matching savings program for long-term service members, are also under review.
Another major item raised by Ahn was the possible integration of South Korea’s three service academies — the Korea Military Academy, the Republic of Korea Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy — as part of efforts to improve officer training and respond to the shrinking school-age population.
He said the current system faces limits due to its small scale, and suggested a model in which cadets would complete common foundational education before moving into specialized training by service.
“The military can no longer rely on a system designed for a different era,” Ahn said, warning that without fundamental qualitative change, it will become difficult to recruit outstanding cadets.
Meanwhile, Ahn said the ministry is continuing to review steps to ease inter-Korean military tensions, including the possible restoration of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, depending on circumstances.
The pact, signed in 2018, was designed to reduce tensions along the border, but was fully suspended in June 2024 following North Korean provocations. Pyongyang has also renounced the agreement.
Ahn said efforts to ease restrictions in aerial space have stalled amid heightened tensions, but stressed the need to foster a more peaceful atmosphere.
“When dealing with North Korea, we need to see two sides — it is our enemy, but also our fellow people,” he said. “The side with greater strength should first extend its hand.”
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