NSC Will “Push Up Independent National Defense Plan” by Increasing National Defense Expenditure

The National Security Council (NSC) announced on May 21 that it decided to move forward with an independent national defense plan earlier than originally scheduled, due to the temporary transfer of U.S. military forces from Korea to Iraq.

“So far we have deliberated short-term, mid-term and long-term plans for a countermove to prepare for the readjustment of the U.S. Armed Forces in Korea,” the NSC explained in Briefing Cheong Wa Dae, a news magazine of the Presidential Residence. “With the temporary transfer of U.S. Armed Force from Korea into Iraq, we decided to push up our plan.”

“Even though we are raising national defense expenditures from the current level—2.8 percent of the GDP—to 3.2 percent of GDP for independent national defense, this means an increase of $20 billion, or 2.4 trillion won, per year,” NSC declared. “Despite the epoch-making increase in national defense expenditure, an additional 24 trillion won will be required for 10 years, according to simple calculations.

“Independent national defense expenditure is not for the realization of absolute national defense but for maintenance of control power,” NSC added. “From now on, we will realize independent national defense by building our own ‘economic’ military power and implementing efficient management of national defense, rather than by following without any consideration the example of other countries that spend large amounts on national defense.”

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com