Military branches:
Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2009)

Military service age and obligation:
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - less than 22 months (Army, Marines), approx. 25 months (Air Force) (to be reduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18-26 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 (2009)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 13,691,809
females age 16-49: 13,029,859 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,991,263
females age 16-49: 10,356,604 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 371,728
female: 322,605 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2006)