Page 160 - 2018 Defense White Paper

[ Chart 4-15 ] Defense Budget to GDP Ratios of Key Nations
Iraq
United Kingdom
1.98%

Pakistan
Germany ROK
United States Iran
1.14% Israel 3.21%
2.33%
3.11%
3.75%
5.33%
1.89%
0.94%
France
1.26%
Japan
4.83% China
11.30%
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia

* Source: The Military Balance 2018 (Center for Strategic and International Studies, February 2018)

2. The Importance of Securing an Adequate Defense Budget

The ROK’s security environment is exposed to diverse threats such as North Korea’s military
threats, potential threats, and transnational and nonmilitary threats. To lay the foundation
for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and a long-lasting peace regime,

superior defense capabilities must be obtained. Moreover, an adequate level of military strength
is necessary for the ROK to independently lead inter-Korean issues amid neighboring countries
in Northeast Asia building their military strength.

At the same time, as public interest in human rights and other fundamental rights continues
to grow, the protection of servicemembers’ human rights has to be strengthened, and a service
environment where servicemembers can safely focus on combat missions should be created. In

response to the decreasing population, “Defense Reform 2.0,” which aims to reorganize the
military structure in an information- and technology-intensive way as well as upgrade weapons
systems, will have to be seamlessly implemented. However, as a large portion of the defense

budget is being spent on rigid expenses, including labor costs, meal costs, and equipment
maintenance costs, the total defense budget needs to increase to secure a larger amount of
discretionary expenses.

158 Chapter 4 Building Elite Armed Forces Using Advanced Technology