Defense Ministry seeks to increase budget by 7% for 2014

By Kang Seung-woo

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) requested a 36.8 trillion won ($32.2 billion) budget for 2014, a 6.9 percent increase from this year, Wednesday.

The budget, which needs parliamentary approval, includes a 15 percent salary increase for soldiers..

Under the plan, corporals will be paid 134,600 won per month from next year, a 17,600 won increase, while sergeants will make 149,000 won. The request will also result in privates and privates first class receiving 112,500 won and 121,700 won, respectively.

The ministry plans to double soldiers’ pay by 2017 in accordance with President Park Gun-hye’s pledge during her election campaign. Soldiers and their parents have long demanded a pay raise for mandatory military service which is required by law for all-able bodied male Koreans.

The current pay is roughly equivalent to three days work assuming an employee works eight hours a day at a minimum hourly wage set at 4,580 won.

The ministry is also set to assign 11.2 trillion for arms procurement in the face of increasing North Korean threats.

Korea plans to purchase multipurpose commercial satellites, high-altitude spy drones and ballistic missiles to fortify its pre-emptive missile destruction system, the so-called “kill chain.”

The missile system is designed to detect signs of impending missiles or nuclear attacks from North Korea and launch pre-emptive strikes to eliminate the threat.

The draft includes the additional purchase of PAC-2 missile interceptors and upgrading the current system to PAC-3 to deter North Korean missiles.

In addition, air-dropped torpedoes to destroy submarines and aerial refueling aircraft to extend the range of F-15K and KF-16 combat jets are on the MND’s buy list.

For better service conditions, it plans to spend 25.5 trillion won to cover increased meal costs, and expand the supply of microwave ovens to suit young servicemen’s taste.

In addition, 181 multi-purpose futsal pitches will be constructed.