The New York Times has reported that an increasing number of North Korean women are joining the country& 039 s 1.1 million-strong military, already the world& 039 s fifth largest armed forces.

The paper quoted Alexandre Mansourov, a former Russian diplomat and now an analyst specializing in Korea, as saying "& 039 Feminization& 039 of the North Korean military is a hot new topic for American military analysts trying to size up North Korea, one of the most militarized societies on earth."

The paper reported in a Sunday article that the North, which is running short of men, earlier this year lowered the draft age for males to 16 and began drafting women for all-women units, adding that a great number of prospective male servicemen have fled to China in recent years, apparently due to famine.

The paper said the North switched to a conscription basis because males have been avoiding military service.