No External Pressure on the Selection of Next Generation Air Fighters?

The defense committee of the National Assembly intensively grilled on the suspicions concerning the FX project to select the next generation air fighters yesterday.

Lawmakers questioned about the reason why the evaluation standard of the Air Force was changed and whether the first evaluation organization, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, was pressed by external powers.

Defense Minister Kim Dong-Shin responded, “there was no external pressures in the process of the selection of FX air fighters. According to the changed schedule, the Ministry will do its best effort to complete the quality test by March and the final decision of the air fighter type in April.” Meanwhile, the general session of the National Assembly was cancelled due the party schedules for the presidential competition.

Choi Don-Kirl, Commissioner of Military Manpower Administration, revealed that “by the reduction of the military manpower, the Administration will reduce or annul the alternative military service such as riot police and warders gradually by 2007.”

Commissioner Choi also said, “the alternative service for industrial experts will be reduced in 2003-2004 in the first place and the army reserve will be replaced by the conscript reserves in 2004-2005.”

chang@donga.com