Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more

South Korea's military has shrunk to about 450,000 people - a decline of 20% over the last six years, according to a defence ministry report released by a ruling party lawmaker on Sunday. Authorities say the main reason behind the decline is the country's dismal birth rate, which at 0.75 babies per woman is the world's lowest.

South Korea’s military faces a sharp decline in soldiers due to the world’s lowest birth rate, a new report by the country’s defence ministry has highlighted. The size of the army has fallen by 20 per cent in just six years,