Seoul, Aug. 13 -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for selective conscription and a shift toward a smaller, technology-driven military, saying the country's persistently low birth rate made it difficult to sustain a personnel-heavy defence structure.
"We must introduce selective conscription, and quickly and thoroughly pursue defense reforms that transform our military into a smart, elite and strong military centered on advanced equipment and technologies," Lee said at a meeting with senior aides at the presidential palace, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Lee said South Korea's declining birth rate made it impossible and undesirable to maintain what he described as an "inefficient military structure" that relies he...