Washington: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Tuesday underscored the need to overhaul the military, including by expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI), to better respond to the future warfare landscape and personnel shortages. Ahn made the remarks during a seminar outlining plans to reform the military by 2040, as Seoul seeks to better address advancing threats from North Korea and cope with declining military manpower.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn emphasized that significant changes are necessary to proactively address the complex security environment and the evolving paradigm of warfare. The plan includes expanding the use of manned-unmanned teaming combat systems that incorporate drones and robots, a strategy driven by the decrease in the number of men of enlistment age for mandatory service.

The reform plan also suggests increasing the outsourcing of troops in non-combat scenarios. The ministry has been working on the defense reform plan since September last year, with a task force dedicated to this endeavor, and aims to finalize the details by next month.