Low Birthrate 'Could Weaken National Security'

Korea's low birthrate could become a serious problem in terms of national defense, the magazine Jane's Defence Weekly said.

Korea relies heavily on conscription and has one of the lowest birthrates in the world. The CIA World Factbook puts Korea's fertility rate at 1.25, in 219th place among 224 countries surveyed.

That will make it increasingly difficult to draft enough young men into the military to keep up troop numbers.