◀ anchor ▶
Now, let’s take a look at the defense budget.
Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon and President Yoon Seok-yeol’s representative promise during his candidacy was a salary of 2 million won for soldiers.
Is this reflected in this budget?
◀ reporter ▶
Yes, not exactly as promised, but reflected.
Starting next year, the monthly salary of a sergeant from 670,000 won will increase to 1 million won.
If you include the subsidy given when you are discharged from the military, you will receive 1.3 million won per month.
After three years, we plan to raise it to 2 million won as promised.
So, the labor cost of soldiers increased from regarding 2.5 trillion won this year to regarding 3.5 trillion won next year, almost 1 trillion won.
For this reason, 40.1 trillion won of electricity operation cost, which includes all the fixed costs every year, such as labor costs, was set.
This is an increase of 5.8% compared to this year.
On the other hand, the cost of improving defense capability, which is an investment such as weapons development or new weapon introduction, was set at 17 trillion won, a 2% increase, which is less than the inflation rate.
As a result, the proportion of defense capacity improvement expenses in the total defense budget fell below 30% for the first time in 7 years.
◀ anchor ▶
It is said that the investment budget for weapons development has not increased relatively, but the Yun Seok-yeol administration said that it would increase the so-called ‘three-axis system budget’ in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
The 3-axis preemptively strikes the origin and intercepts missiles coming from the Patriot. This is a weapon system, but these are all weapons.
How did this go?
◀ reporter ▶
Yes, the budget for a three-axis weapon system to detect and intercept North Korean missiles has increased significantly.
Introduction of unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, improvement of interceptor missile performance. Including the introduction of mobile helicopters, it is regarding 5.2 trillion won.
This is an increase of 9.8% from this year.
On the other hand, the budget for the light aircraft carrier project actively promoted by the Moon Jae-in government was not reflected at all.
In the end, it can be said that the entire government’s key projects were reduced and focused on the three-axis related budget.
However, as explained above, it is pointed out that the budget is focused on labor costs and the increase in investment in advanced weapons is relatively small.
First of all, the Ministry of National Defense is explaining that as the KF-21 development or the introduction of ships was completed, the increase in the budget for power reinforcement temporarily increased, not the effect of the soldier’s salary.
◀ anchor ▶
Good to hear.
The two of you did a great job.
MBC News awaits your report 24 hours a day.
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