Saturday, May 31, 2003

US$11b more to be spent on US troops in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The U.S. military said Saturday it would spend an additional US$11 billion over the next three years to strengthen its forces in South Korea, including on improvements to intelligence collecting and weapons upgrades.

Gen. Leon Laporte, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, said the investment through 2006 would help regional stability and boost security for South Korea, according to a statement.

The U.S. military currently spends around US$3 billion a year to maintain troops in South Korea.

The increased spending comes amid heightened tension on the divided Korean Peninsula over North Korea's suspected development of nuclear weapons.

North Korea didn't immediately comment on the plan. But it often sharply criticizes the U.S. military presence, and has accused Washington of trying to use the nuclear dispute as an excuse for an invasion.

LaPorte discussed the budget expansion with South Korean Defense Minister Cho Young-kil and Gen. Kim Jong-hwan, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, U.S. Forces Korea said.

Part of the spending will go toward deploying special, swift-action forces, known as Stryker units, it said.

The nuclear dispute flared in October, when U.S. officials said North Korea admitted it had a clandestine nuclear program.

North Korea and the United States held talks in Beijing in April. U.S. officials said that North Korea claimed at the talks that it already had nuclear weapons, but would give up its nuclear programs in return for economic aid and security guarantees.

During a summit in Washington earlier this month, U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun agreed to seek a peaceful end to the nuclear crisis, but warned of "further steps'' against the North if tension escalates.

The inter-Korean border is the world's most heavily fortified, with nearly 2 million troops on both sides. About 37,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea.

South Korea has earmarked about US$14.5 billion for military spending in 2003. - AP

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US$11b more to be spent on US troops in South Korea