Bigger defense budget sought

Jon · Korean Citizen Joined: Mar 19, 2004 Posts: 525

Ministry requests 13.4 percent increase for next year

The Defense Ministry requested 21.5 trillion won ($17.9 billion) for next year's budget, up 13.4 percent from this year, to strengthen its war capabilities against North Korea, a ministry official said yesterday.

The proposed budget accounts for 2.9 percent of the gross domestic product, while spending this year is 18.9 billion won, comprising 2.8 percent of last year's GDP.

The increase comes amid security concerns over the U.S. plan to pull out one-third of its 37,000 troops in the South by the end of next year. Seoul is expediting its defense build-up plan, as Washington is pushing its global realignment faster than expected.

The ministry said it asked the Ministry of Budget and Planning for an increase in its spending to continue hundreds of arms buildup projects and begin new ones, such as creating an anti-missile defense and airborne reconnaissance system.

The Ministry of Budget and Planning, and other ministries, will review the proposal and then send it to the president's office. The draft will be forwarded to the National Assembly for approval some time in September.

"We asked for such an increase in order to secure core fighting power in line with the country's own defense posture and future military threats," said two-star general Won Jang-hwan at a news briefing.

The intended budget is 0.1 percentage point short of the original plan the ministry wanted.

Maj. Gen. Won said the old budget plan did not consider the effects of the United States withdrawing from the South, as the ministry's request was made in late May before the Pentagon's official proposal for the reduction went public early this month.

"The ministry believes the government will readjust military spending to 3 percent of the GDP by August," Won said.

A senior presidential official earlier said the government should earmark at least that amount of the nation's budget for its 650,000-member military to effectively be a deterrent against the 1.1 million North Korean forces.

The state-run Korea Institute of Defense Analysis said South Korea needed to raise its spending to a level of 3.2 percent of the GDP, as an additional 209 trillion won would be needed by 2020 to buy the equipment it needs.

The 2005 budget breaks down into 7.3 trillion won allocated for arms build-up projects and 14.1 trillion won for current outlay, up 16 and 12.1 percent from this year's spending, the ministry said.

For combat and readiness, it earmarked 5.6 trillion won for the ongoing 181 projects.

They include an early airborne warning system, known as AWACS, and the joint Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence system, or C4I. The projects also are also focused on acquiring F-15K fighters, K1A1 tanks and unmanned patrol planes.

The ministry also said it allocated 72 billion won for 17 new combat projects, including Global Positioning System-guided missiles, launching military spy satellites and aerial defense systems, and the Patriot missile system, code-named SAM-X. It also hopes to convert some infantry units into an armored brigade and adopt a detector of chemical and biological weapons.

Under Seoul-Washington agreements, Korea should reserve about 812 billion won for U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula.

An additional 263 billion won allocated for the relocation of some of the 37,000 American troops, but the proposed budget excluded the item, considering ongoing talks, in which both sides failed to ink the deal, last week.

The ministry asked for 2.77 trillion won to improve military residences and the overall welfare of the rank and file.

It said it would enhance basic necessities of about 600,000 enlisted soldiers mostly in their early 20s, who are fulfilling their mandatory service.

The monthly average salary for enlisted soldiers will increase to 55,000 from the current 35.800 won.

The daily spending for food per solider will be 4,805 won, an increase of 140 won.

(smjoo@heraldm.com)

By Joo Sang-min