2. Aging Population, Decreasing Birthrate and National Security: Searching for the Possibility of Cooperation Between Japan and Korea

A declining birthrate and aging population have been considered a negative factor in their effect on security, as well as on lower economic growth and financial deficits. This is because various effects can be expected, such as difficulty of recruiting self-defense forces, limited financial capacity of citizens associated with lower economic growth, and financial pressure on defense-related expenditures due to an increase in social security spending. The problem of a declining birthrate and aging population is not unique to Japan. Indeed, most East Asian countries are experiencing similar patterns, and the shift is particularly eminent in Korea. In light of these circumstances, this chapter will discuss and compare how Japan and Korea, who share the same demographic problems, perceive those problems and how they are trying to overcome them from a security perspective. It will then conclude by considering the possibility of cooperation between Japan and Korea.