South Korea's military is 20 percent smaller than it was six years ago as the world's lowest birth rate shrinks the pool of men available for enlistment, according to a new report from the country's defense ministry.

Seoul, South Korea - South Korea's military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions.

South Korea is grappling with a military personnel shortage as Kim Jong Un escalates North Korean military preparations, with not enough young men available for recruitment in the country. A recent report has estimated that the South's military has shrunk by 20 per cent over the past six years,