Seoul requests 7.5 percent increase in defense spending

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government on Tuesday asked the
National Assembly to approve a 7.5 percent increase in defense spending for next
year, which includes an 11.9 percent increase for weapons acquisitions and other
projects to boost defense capabilities, the Defense Ministry said.

The proposal, if approved, will raise government defense spending to just over
28.63 trillion won (some US$24.1 billion), up from 26.64 trillion won this year,
according to the ministry, which had earlier sought an 8.6-percent increase for
its 2009 budget.
Seoul is currently pushing for a 15-year defense reform plan, dubbed Defense
Reform 2020, which calls for a total spending of over 650 trillion won by the
target year.
"Defense Reform 2020 calls for an average 9.6 percent increase annually, but the
ministry decided to scale it down in line with government policy to reduce taxes
and to achieve more balanced spending," Ahn Chun-sun, director of the ministry's
personnel operation and budgeting division, said earlier.
"The requested increase is a bit higher than the proposed 6.5 percent increase in
overall government spending for next year, but the government believes the
National Assembly will see this amount as adequate, especially when we are trying
to increase our defense capabilities," a ministry official told reporters, asking
not to be identified.
A large part of the increase, over 300 billion won, will go to securing fuel due
to recent oil price hikes, while defense research and development funds will be
increased from 1.45 trillion won to over 1.62 trillion won, accounting for 5.7
percent of the proposed overall spending, the ministry said.
Over 8 trillion won will be spent on 177 ongoing acquisition and defense reform
projects that include a purchase of airborne early warning systems and the
construction of Aegis destroyers.
Seoul also plans to nearly double the amount of money allocated for locating the
remains of troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War from 1.7 billion won to over
2.9 billion won, according to the ministry.