It Makes a Difference to the Sheep

There are many signs that the mighty million man (and woman) North Korea army is fading away. North Korea is running into serious problems getting enough men for it's armed forces. North Korea relies on conscription to maintain its 1.1 million man (and woman) forces. This is difficult with a population of only about 23 million. In the last twenty years the number of 17 year old males available each year for service had been declining, from about a quarter million in the early 1980s to less than 200,000 now.

But it's worse than that, as the persistent famine over the last decade, along with the collapse of the economy, has reduced the number of 17 year old males actually fit for military service. There are more health problems because of the poor diet, and a lot of these kids, who should be there, have died from starvation and hunger related diseases.

// posted by Kirk @ 9:08 AM