South Korea
Armed forces personnel in South Korea
Armed forces personnel in South Korea: 598,000 people in 1985 and 569,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.
- Latest, 2020
- 569,000 people
- Since 1985
- −29,000 people
- Rank, 2020
- 11 of 170
- counting from the highest
- World, 2020
- 27.4 million people
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- The highest was 750,000 people in 1991, the lowest 569,000 people in 2020.
- Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1949: 69,000 people.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 569,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 613,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 608,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 634,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 634,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 634,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 632,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 659,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 659,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 659,500 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 659,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 659,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 692,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 692,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 692,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 693,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 696,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 690,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 690,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 687,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 687,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 676,500 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 676,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 676,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 668,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 641,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 750,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 750,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 750,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 750,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 650,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 647,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 598,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 602,000 | – |
| 1983 | 602,000 | – |
| 1982 | 601,000 | – |
| 1981 | 606,000 | – |
| 1980 | 600,000 | – |
| 1979 | 638,000 | – |
| 1978 | 600,000 | – |
| 1977 | 600,000 | – |
| 1976 | 610,000 | – |
| 1975 | 630,000 | – |
| 1974 | 634,000 | – |
| 1973 | 634,000 | – |
| 1972 | 635,000 | – |
| 1971 | 638,000 | – |
| 1970 | 645,000 | – |
| 1969 | 620,000 | – |
| 1968 | 620,000 | – |
| 1967 | 612,000 | – |
| 1966 | 572,000 | – |
| 1965 | 604,000 | – |
| 1964 | 600,000 | – |
| 1963 | 627,000 | – |
| 1962 | 570,000 | – |
| 1961 | 570,000 | – |
| 1960 | 650,000 | – |
| 1959 | 650,000 | – |
| 1958 | 650,000 | – |
| 1957 | 650,000 | – |
| 1956 | 650,000 | – |
| 1955 | 730,000 | – |
| 1954 | 630,000 | – |
| 1953 | 504,000 | – |
| 1952 | 335,000 | – |
| 1951 | 196,000 | – |
| 1950 | 109,000 | – |
| 1949 | 69,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Korea in numbers
Every measure for South Korea on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per person$924 in 2025
- Military share of state spending10.8% of government spending in 2025
- National power2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports2.02 billion TIV in 2025