[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Last Year’s Highest Import of 'American Weapons'

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been revealed that the amount spent on importing American-made weapons has significantly increased under the current administration. There are calls to use this as leverage in the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) negotiations on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the United States.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on the 20th, before the Moon Jae-in administration took office in 2016, the total amount of overseas weapons imports was 745 billion KRW, of which 456.7 billion KRW was for American-made weapons, accounting for 61% of the total. Then, in the first year of the administration in 2017, it increased to 1.5216 trillion KRW, with the American-made weapons share slightly rising to 68% (1.0359 trillion KRW). In 2018, out of 3.8878 trillion KRW, 3.2636 trillion KRW was American-made, sharply increasing the share to 84%.

This trend has continued to the present. In 2019, overseas weapons imports slightly decreased to 2.5389 trillion KRW (American-made 2.099 trillion KRW, 82%). In September of that year, President Moon Jae-in announced a three-year weapons procurement plan at the South Korea-US summit, and President Donald Trump responded by saying, "South Korea is a major customer purchasing our military equipment."

Since then, the amount spent on American-made weapons has increased again, with 3.5095 trillion KRW (76% of the total) spent on weapons from the US last year alone. Considering this year’s American-made weapons such as the GPS-guided bombs (2000 lbs class) 4th project, Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation system, and F-15K performance upgrades, the amount payable to the US is expected to exceed 4 trillion KRW.

Experts point out that if importing American-made weapons is inevitable, it should be used as a negotiation card to foster domestic defense companies through offset trade or to resolve defense cost-sharing negotiations.

Kim Jong-ha, Dean of the Graduate School of Business and Defense Strategy at Hannam University, said, "The current administration has not leveraged the expansion of American-made weapons purchases as leverage in defense cost-sharing negotiations," adding, "Unilateral weapons purchases do not benefit the national interest."

Kim Yong-su, Chairman of the Defense Small and Medium Venture Business Association, also urged, "We need to create various win-win strategies such as increasing orders for domestic defense companies or receiving technology transfers through offset trade."