NKorean Media Claims 5 Million Have Signed up to Join Army

State run media in North Korea on Thursday said that 5 million people have signed up or re-enlisted to join the country's military, The Washington Post reported.

However, North Korea's constitution makes it a requirement to serve in the armed forces.

North Korea's claim — on the heels earlier this summer of 3.5 million joining the army — would make it the largest army in the world. Verifying the accuracy of the claim, however, is impossible.

The State Department's estimate in 2014 put North Korea's army at 1.18 million, fourth behind China, India and the U.S., the Post reported.

However, malnutrition runs rampant because North Korea is unable or unwilling to feed its own army, according to multiple reports.

Reports range from families having to provide food for their children serving, to soldiers being ordered to steal corn because they're living on two potatoes per day.

Regardless of the actual numbers, condition or effectiveness of such a large military force, North Korea does have an 180,000-strong special forces that could pose a major problem for landlocked South Korea, the Post reported.

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