South Korea:
Military & Transnational Issues


Military branches	Definition Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation	Definition 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	Definition males age 16-49: 13,691,809 females age 16-49: 13,029,859 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	Definition - World rank and map males age 16-49: 11,282,699 females age 16-49: 10,683,668 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually	Definition males age 16-49: 382,305 females age 16-49: 336,998 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	Definition - World rank and map 2.7% (2006)

Disputes - international	Definition Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limiting Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954