S. Korea remains 5th biggest buyer of U.S. defense goods: report

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was the fifth biggest client of U.S.
defense goods on a government-to-government contact basis in 2007, a
congressional report shows.
South Korea purchased US$1 billion worth of defense products from the U.S. last
year, according to a Congressional Research Service report, "U.S. Arms Sales:
Agreements with and Deliveries to Major clients 2000-2007," released on Nov. 26.
South Korea follows Israel ($1.4 billion), Poland ($1.3 billion), Egypt ($1.2
billion) and Saudi Arabia ($1 billion), the report said.
For the years 2004-07, according to the report, South Korea bought $2.8 billion
in U.S. arms. That also is the fifth biggest account, after Israel's $5.7
billion, Egypt's $5.5 billion, Saudi Arabia's $4.4 billion and Taiwan's $4.3
billion, the report said.
Japan came in sixth with $2.3 billion, Poland seventh with $2.3 billion,
Australia eighth with $1.7 billion, Greece ninth with $1.7 billion and Britain
10th with $1.5 billion.
South Korea has purchased $6.9 billion worth of defense goods from the U.S. on a
government-to-government foreign military sales (FMS) basis over the past decade.
South Korea, meanwhile, purchased $1.52 billion worth of defense goods from the
U.S. on a commercial basis in fiscal year 2007.
The U.S. Congress passed legislation in September to grant most preferential
treatment in FMS to South Korea.
The legislation provides South Korea with the same status as members of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Japan, Australia and New Zealand regarding
FMS, under which Congress is required to review proposed arms sales worth over
US$25 million to South Korea within 15 days.
Without the legislation, the U.S. government had to get permission from Congress
for the sale of defense goods worth over $14 million within 30 days.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met with U.S. President George W. Bush at
Camp David in April to agree on the upgrading of South Korea's FMS status.
In approving the legislation, Congress cited the need to enhance compatibility of
weapons of the South Korean military and the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in
South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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