Seoul seeks to delay large defense projects amid economic downturn

By Byun Duk-kun

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea may cut back major weapons acquisition and development projects and delay its plan to cut troop numbers by almost 200,000 as a worsening economic situation forces revisions to Seoul's multi-billion dollar defense modernization program, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

Under an initial plan, dubbed Defense Reform 2020, Seoul was to cut the number of
its troops to about 500,000 from the current 680,000 by 2020.
Kim Kyoung-deok, a ministry official in charge of the reform plan, said the goal
to cut the troop number to half a million remains unchanged but that the
reduction will have to be made much more gradually than planned.
"When looking at today's economic forecasts, it appears very difficult to
implement the plans (as they are)," Kim told reporters, noting the government has
already failed to secure enough funding for planned changes in 2006 and 2007.
"The revised plan, therefore, lays out a more flat curve of spending from start
to finish," he added.
The 621-trillion won (US$414 billion) reform plan sought to allow the drastic
reduction of troops by replacing them with the latest high-tech weapons systems,
such as new main battle tanks for the Army, F-15K fighter jets for the Air Force
and KDX-III Aegis destroyers for the Navy.
Delayed or rescheduled spending of necessary funds means procurement of the new
weapons systems will also be rescheduled or delayed.
Seoul's sole defense procurement agency last week said the project to produce 400
K-2 Army main battle tanks by 2017 may be seriously cut back due to worsening
economic conditions.
"Having the overall budget spent more flatly over the years means the force
reduction and restructuring of armed forces will, too, be laid out more flatly
over the years," said Kim, the head of the defense reform bureau at the ministry.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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