The government plans to delegate all non-combat military roles to civilians and reserves to maintain an active-duty force of 500-thousand.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said in a news conference on Tuesday that he plans to keep 350,000 active-duty soldiers in combat positions in the face of population decline.

He said the South Korean military will prepare for a reduction in military resources by outsourcing roles in other sectors, including border personnel, transportation and logistics, noting that United States Forces Korea in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, outsources its non-combat roles to the private sector.

South Korean troops numbered more than 600-thousand until 2017 but have been declining since, numbering just 480-thousand as of the end of last year.

That number is expected to plunge to 350-thousand by 2040 as the nation's low birth rate reduces military resources and shortens service periods.

Ahn also vowed to bolster South Korea’s combat capabilities by keeping 40,000 officers in technical units to handle expensive weapons.

Regarding Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's push to suspend South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, including the Ulchi Freedom Shield, Ahn said such procedures cannot be stopped unilaterally and stressed that soldiers have to train.

He also opposed the idea of suspending military exercises at the inter-Korean border, which has been proposed as a potential step towards restoring the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.

He agreed, however, that bringing back the agreement is necessary to ease tension and build trust between the two Koreas.

Ahn added that discussions are ongoing regarding the government's push to retake wartime operational control from the United States and that the matter is being pursued in a "systemic, stable and proactive manner under mutually agreed upon procedures and measures.”