U.S. Senate approves upgrade of S. Korea's arms purchase status

By Yoo Cheong-mo

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Senate has approved a bill on the elevation of South Korea's status in purchasing U.S. arms, Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

The approval on Wednesday upgrades country's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) status
to that held by NATO, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The U.S. House has already approved the South Korean FMS bill, which was part of
the agreement reached between President Lee Myung-bak and his U.S. counterpart
George W. Bush at their Camp David summit in April.
Washington's FMS program is meant to facilitate the sales of U.S. arms, defense
equipment, defense services and military training to foreign governments.
Under the upgraded status, the ceiling of South Korea's U.S. arms purchases and
their legislative screening period will be revised to the levels of the so-called
"NATO Plus Three" nations.
"The U.S. Senate approved the South Korean FMS bill, together with the US$700
billion financial bailout package, in Washington Wednesday morning," said a
ranking official of Cheong Wa Dae.
"From now on, South Korea will be treated like NATO and three other U.S. allies
-- Japan, Australia and New Zealand -- in buying American arms and defense
systems," said the official.