SEOUL -- South Korea has completed a military build-up plan to cope with the planned reduction of U.S. forces in the country, officials said Thursday. Under the plan, the military will spend $92.5 billion by 2008 to pursue a defense capability less dependent on U.S. forces, the Defense Ministry said.
"The ministry is seeking to raise its budget by 11 percent annually by 2008 to purchase or develop a set of sophisticated weapons," said Maj. Gen. Bang Hyo-bok, a policy planning officer at the ministry.
The government has earmarked $19.5 billion for next year's defense budget, up 12.6 percent from this year, he said.
The weapons systems to be introduced will include airborne early warning systems, anti-missile Patriot missiles, Aegis-equipped destroyers and multi-function satellites, Bang said.
"The plan will lay the groundwork for South Korea to take the initiative in defending the Korean peninsula," he told a press conference
The United States delayed its troop cut by three years to September 2008 at the request of South Korea, in the face of continuing threats from North Korea.
