By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

The Ministry of National Defense plans to sell more than 100,000 aging U.S. combat rifles to American gun enthusiasts, ministry officials said Thursday.

The plan is part of the ministry's programs to boost its defense budget, they said.

About 86,000 M1 Garand rifles and 22,000 M1 carbine rifles will be sold to gun collectors in the United States, as the U.S. government has approved the sale. The rifles were originally given to South Korea as part of a U.S. aid program in the 1950s, according to officials.

The total value of the firearms for sale exceeds $120 million.

The rifles were used by U.S. troops in the Korean and Vietnam wars before being donated to the South Korean military.

They have been mothballed for years in military warehouses, but were occasionally used in drills by reserve soldiers.

The M1s were made first in 1926 and used in World War II and the Vietnam War.

The carbines were first produced in 1941 and used during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr