New vice defense minister vows efforts to cut costs, revamp defense

SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new finance-savvy vice defense minister pledged Wednesday to streamline his massive government branch while supporting the transformation of its defense capabilities.

"We have to cut down on blind expenses," Chang Soo-man, who took office last week
after an extensive career as an economic bureaucrat, told reporters at the
Ministry of National Defense.
"Those expenses arise where there is no competition," he said, indicating his
intent to review a series of big-ticket defense projects.
The ministry accounts for 10 percent of this year's 284 trillion won (US$206
billion) annual budget. The government has front-loaded spending in the first
half to help the country cope with the worldwide financial crisis. Chang was
appointed amid calls by President Lee Myung-bak for government-wide
belt-tightening.
Chang added the country is undergoing difficulties due to its low birth rate and
said he will find ways to support the planned reduction of South Korean troops
from 660,000 to 500,000 by 2020.
"The defense system must be reformed in a way that can help improve the overall
defense capabilities," he said.
South Korea is faced with North Korea's 1.1-million-strong military across their
heavily armed border. The sides fought the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a
ceasefire rather than a formal peace treaty.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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