Side-by-side military and economic comparison. White/black is Japan, red is South Korea.
🇯🇵 Japan
🇰🇷 South Korea
Fleet Modernity — Quality, Not Just Count
MODERN
✈️ Air Fleet
MODERN
MODERN
🛡️ Armor Fleet
MODERN
LIKELY MODERN
⚓ Naval Fleet
LIKELY MIXED
Leads More Categories
★ South Korea
Japan wins 1 of 6 · South Korea wins 3 of 6
Manpower
★ South Korea
Financials
★ Japan
Airpower
★ South Korea
Land Power
★ South Korea
Naval Power
Tied
Strategic
Tied
Manpower
★ 124,000,000
👥 Total Population
52,000,000
247,000
🪖 Active Personnel
555,000 ★
56,000
🎖️ Reserve Personnel
3,100,000 ★
n/a
👮 Paramilitary Forces
n/a
Financials
★ $53B
💰 Defense Budget
$48B
★ $4,200B
📈 GDP (Nominal)
$1,900B
Airpower
1,450
✈️ Total Aircraft
1,590 ★
240
🛩️ Fighter Aircraft
400 ★
★ 1,210
🛫 Bombers & Other Aircraft
1,190
n/a
🚁 Helicopters (Total)
n/a
Land Power
1,000
🛡️ Tank Strength
2,500 ★
n/a
🚚 Armored Vehicles
n/a
n/a
💥 Towed Artillery
n/a
Naval Power
155
⚓ Fleet Strength
230 ★
★ 24
🌊 Submarines
22
0
🛳️ Aircraft Carriers
0
Strategic
None declared
☢️ Nuclear Warheads
None declared
Figures are educated estimates or formula-modeled, not sourced intelligence. Team totals are simple sums. Want a different matchup? Use the interactive Compare tool.