Delays and cuts loom as Korean modernisation plan goes before president

South Korea's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has completed a new version of its long-term military modernisation programme that will reduce spending and delay several key programmes, an MND source has exclusively revealed to Jane's .

The source said that the new programme – which is a revision of the Defence Reform 2020 plan published in 2005 – would be submitted to President Lee Myung-bak on 26 June. The president, who has already seen three earlier drafts, was almost certain to approve the revised version, he said.

The original Defence Reform 2020 plan committed Seoul to spending KRW621 trillion (USD482 billion) on defence over 15 years. Since late 2008, however, the plan has come under scrutiny as economic conditions in South Korea have worsened and as North Korea has adopted an increasingly aggressive posture.

According to the MND source, who has played a key role in rewriting the modernisation plan, the revisions include: a reduction of the overall budget to KRW599 trillion; a delay in the acquisition of several naval and air force platforms; and a force reduction programme designed to be manageable while maintaining the armed forces' capabilities.