Page 121 - 2018 Defense White Paper

[ Chart 4-5 ] Standing Troops Reduction Plan

Category Standing Troops Category Standing Troops
Approximately 2018 2025 Approximately
Army Army
464,000 365,000
Approximately Approximately
Navy 70,000 Navy 70,000
(Marine Corps) (Approximately (Marine Corps) (Approximately
29,000) 29,000)

Approximately 599,000 500,000 Approximately
Air Force Air Force
65,000 65,000

2. Reorganizing the Defense Manpower Structure
Chapter 4
| Redesigning the Defense Manpower Structure | Since the implementation of defense

r eforms began in 2006, the ROK Armed Forces has reduced about 83,000 standing troops
and augmented more off icers and Non-Commissioned Of f icers (NCOs), mainly NCOs, in

positions that require prof ic iency and expertise. 1) The acquisition of military off icers and
NCOs, however, is expected to face challenges in the future because of the expected decline in
young adult population and decrease in young adult unemployment in the mid- to long-term.
Measures to prevent the decline in combat capabilities caused by the reduction of standing

troops and the shortening of military service period are necessary. Therefore, the MND will
switch the existing troop restructuring plan focused on the increase of of f icers and NCOs into
the “Defense Manpower Structure Reorganization Plan,” which structures the total defense

manpower concept to include servicemembers, civilian military workers, and other types of
civilian workers, and effectively reallocating them within.
The major direction of the reorganization of the defense manpower structure is as follows.

First, the workforc e quota will be redesigned by service, status, and rank in line with the unit
structure and size of troops as prescribed by Defense Reform 2.0, with the target year set at

1) The ROK Armed Forces reduced the number of standing troops by 83,000 from 682,000 as of the end of 2005 to
599,000 as of the end of 2018, and increased the number of non-commissioned officers by 30,000 from 97,000
as of the end of 2005 to 127,000 as of the end of 2018.

Section 2 Reducing Standing Troops and Restructuring the Defense Manpower Structure 119