The scale of the Han ** team is huge, do you know?According to reports, by 2022, the strength of the South Korean armed forces will reach 3.6 million, including 500,000 active military personnel and 3.1 million reservists. Why is it so big?
This is mainly to deal with the complex topographical environment of the Korean Peninsula and the great threat of the Korean People's Army. The Korean People's Army (KPA) has more than 1 million active-duty troops, two-thirds of whom are permanently stationed on the front line near the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.
South Korea must maintain such a strong defense force to protect itself. However, such a large military also imposes a heavy financial burden on South Korea. South Korea's defense budget has also experienced a significant decline in the proportion of fiscal spending
From 1975 to 289% down to 12 in 20238%。As one of the countries with the highest defense budget in the world, South Korea's defense budget will reach 57 in 202301 trillion won, which is 254%。
This figure makes South Korea one of the world's highest defense spenders as a percentage of GDP. On the one hand, the high level of defense spending reflects the complexity of the situation on the Korean Peninsula
South Korea must maintain a strong defense force to counter potential threats;On the other hand, it is also related to the rapid growth of South Korea's economy and the continuous expansion of fiscal revenue. It is worth mentioning that the ROK Army is the largest branch of the ROK armed forces, with about 420,000 personnel in 2020.
This large scale is based on the topography of the Korean Peninsula. In order to effectively respond to potential threats in the border areas, a large-scale build-up of the ROK Army is particularly necessary. But in order to reduce the financial burden of **, it is expected to be by 2022,
The size of the South Korean Army will be drastically reduced to about 300,000 troops. In addition, the ROK Navy has about 70,000 regular personnel and 150 combat ships, making South Korea one of the most powerful naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region. South Korea has about 450 advanced U.S.-designed fighter jets
It has extremely strong air supremacy and ground strike capabilities. South Korea has a compulsory military service system for men, with the legal age of 18 to 28 years old and the duration of 18 to 22 months. The ROK Armed Forces have participated in more than 20 peacekeeping operations since 1994
It has made important contributions to the maintenance of world peace and order. Officers and soldiers of the Korean Dongmyung Force in Lebanon were awarded the United Nations Medal of Honour for the first time that a non-English-speaking military member has received such an honour.
The strength of the ROK's armed forces is undoubtedly one of the keys to maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the surrounding region. However, as the situation on the Korean Peninsula changes, South Korea still has many challenges in adjusting the proportion of its defense budget and strengthening the modernization process of its defense capabilities.
Striking the best balance between defense needs and economic affordability remains an important issue for South Korea at present and in the future.