South Korea looks to strengthen its three-pronged defense strategy with an increased military budget allocation
South Korea Plans to Boost Defense Spending Amidst Pressure from U.S.
Negotiations for an increase in South Korea's annual defense spending are underway, with the government aiming to bolster the country's security posture. The proposed defense budget for next year stands at 66.3 trillion won, marking an 8.2% increase from the current year's budget.
Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee has stated that the government has a plan to gradually raise defense spending, but it is currently hard to set a specific target. This comes as South Korea faces pressure from Washington to boost defense spending to 5% of the country's GDP. However, the South Korean government, under President Lee Jae Myung, is not committing to a set target of 3.5% of GDP.
The increased budget focuses on building "overwhelming" response capabilities. The proposal includes the cost of acquiring Standard Missile-3 shipborne missiles for missile defense, as well as the development of homegrown long-range air-to-air missiles for the KF-21 fighter jet. The budget also allocates 5.9 trillion won for defense research and development, a 19.2% increase from the previous year.
In addition, the budget includes improvements to the working and living circumstances for entry-level officers, as well as allocations for strengthening the three-axis structure: Korea Air and Missile Defense, Kill Chain, and Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation systems. The budget aims to improve South Korea's strike and air defense capabilities, which have been stalled due to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.
During his visit to Washington last month, President Lee Jae Myung vowed to increase defense spending to bolster the country's security posture. The spending issue is expected to be discussed as part of a broader "package deal" covering trade, economic, and security issues.
However, the conditions-based OPCON transfer, which includes South Korea's capabilities to lead combined Korea-US forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a regional security environment conducive to such a handover, remains stalled. The transfer has been a long-standing goal for South Korea, with the aim to transfer the wartime operational command during President Lee Jae Myung's term.
There was a media report that South Korea agreed to hike its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP during consultations with the US, but the presidential office has not confirmed this. Despite this, the South Korean government is committed to increasing defense spending to strengthen the country's security posture and respond to evolving threats in the region.
