S. Korea ranks as biggest conventional arms importer in 2008: think tank

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, April 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was the world's largest importer of
conventional weapons from 2007-2008, a Sweden-based think tank has reported.
South Korea would rank third if its entire arms imports from 2004-2008 were
factored in, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.
SIPRI, which released the report on Monday (Swedish time), is a state-funded
institute that regularly provides information on international arms transfers.
The United States was the world's biggest supplier of conventional weapons from
2004-2008, the report said, adding it accounted for 73 percent of South Korea's
arms imports during the same period.
The trade included "F-15K combat aircraft along with engines and other components
for South Korean-designed aircraft and ships," it said, adding South Korea was
the biggest recipient of U.S. arms.
"South Korean imports of major conventional weapons were 61 percent higher in
2004-2008 than in 1999-2003. In 2007 and 2008 South Korea was the world's largest
importer of major conventional weapons," the report said.
South Korea accounted for 6 percent of global arms imports, the same as the
United Arab Emirates, from 2004-2008. China accounted for 11 percent while India
came second with 7 percent, the report said.
Russia, which supplied 44 percent of its arms exports to China, was the world's
second largest provider while Germany stood at third.
The report did not mention arms trade by North Korea, which remains technically
at war with South Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than
a peace treaty.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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