ROK-US Combined Training [Photo=Yonhap News] 

On April 28th, at a cabinet meeting, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized self-defense, stating, "Why does South Korea, with the 5th strongest military, rely on foreign troops?" This is not the first time he has made such remarks.

Currently, pro-North Korean and pro-China leftists in South Korea are boasting, "South Korea's defense budget is 66 trillion won, 1.4 times North Korea's GDP." "South Korea's weapons are recognized as the best in the world. Therefore, self-defense is possible without the US military." This is essentially a call for the US military to leave.

South Korea Bogged Down by Personnel Costs, North Korea All-In for Survival

South Korean leftists are either profoundly ignorant or are dirty traitors to their nation and people. The first reason I call the leftists ignorant is their boasting about South Korea's defense spending being 1.4 times North Korea's GDP. In reality, North Korea spends several tens of times more on its military than South Korea.

The 66 trillion won defense budget mentioned by the leftists is only about 2.3% of South Korea's GDP. However, North Korea spends 20% to 30% of its GDP on defense annually. In terms of GDP percentage, North Korea has the highest defense spending ratio in the world.

At this point, the ignorant leftists will argue that even if North Korea invests 30% of its GDP in defense, it is incomparable to South Korea's 66 trillion won defense budget. The leftists fail to understand that while North Korea's defense budget amount may be smaller than South Korea's, their defense spending efficiency is much higher.

Let me give an example. South Korea pays its soldiers a monthly salary of over $1,300. In contrast, North Korean soldiers receive a salary of 5-7 cents per month, which is less than 140 Korean won. Therefore, the money paid to one South Korean soldier can sustain over 20,000 North Korean soldiers, more than a division.

The monthly salary for 1.2 million North Korean soldiers, including officers, is sufficient at $100,000. Conversely, the labor costs for South Korean soldiers amount to hundreds of millions of dollars per month.

Furthermore, North Korea pays its defense industry workers $0.8 to $1 per month. However, South Korea spends over $2,000 per month on defense industry workers. The wages of one South Korean worker are equivalent to the monthly salaries of 2,000-3,000 North Korean workers. Therefore, do not boast that South Korea's 66 trillion won defense budget is larger than North Korea's.

Ultimately, North Korean soldiers are brainwashed, terrifying beings like Shepherds, who are fed and trained for over 10 years to kill. They are consumables that do not require large sums of money. If 1.2 million such Shepherds were to attack, could the well-fed leftists really stop them? They would all flee overseas.

Moreover, if the US military withdraws, the South Korean economy will collapse in an instant. And if the US military leaves, more money and personnel will be needed for defense. Can South Korea afford that?

The Republic of Korea Without the US Military is Merely a 'Scarecrow in the Fields'

The second reason I call South Korean leftists fools is that they boast about South Korea's aircraft, tanks, and other weapons being much stronger than North Korea's, despite not understanding North Korea.

North Korea has a far superior military and weaponry. North Korea overwhelmingly surpasses South Korea with nuclear warheads, chemical weapons of mass destruction, and conventional artillery and missiles capable of delivering them. Airplanes and tanks are not very effective in the mountainous terrain of the Korean Peninsula. During the Korean War, the US military completely controlled the air and sea, and they had more tanks, but look at the outcome.

That's not all. North Korea's most trusted and fearsome weapons are within South Korea. In South Korea, there are over a million members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) waiting for the US military to leave, tens of thousands of spies, and millions of partisans who have pledged allegiance to North Korea, already controlling the country. Additionally, millions of unidentified Chinese individuals have infiltrated the country.

If the US military were to withdraw, they would have the capacity to take over the Republic of Korea in alliance with North Korea and China. If you understand that in May 1980, unidentified individuals plundered 40 national armories within two hours, armed themselves, seized provincial offices and broadcasting stations and police stations, raided military factories, and captured hundreds of military vehicles and divisional command vehicles without a single protest, then no one would be able to refute this.

On top of that, South Korea's president, prime minister, and minister of defense are all unfamiliar with military affairs. The country is entering a phase of military dismantling, as evidenced by the issuance of three-section batons instead of firearms to front-line troops and the replacement of military officer positions with civilians.

Therefore, no one should utter the ignorant remark that South Korea can achieve self-defense because its weapons are better than North Korea's.

The reason I call South Korean leftists dirty traitors is that they are desperately trying to drive the US military out of South Korea.

North Korea is our primary enemy, and China has been our eternal foe on the Korean Peninsula for a millennium. North Korea and China are now inciting their stooges in South Korea to withdraw US forces and swallow South Korea. Therefore, the leftists who are loyal to North Korea and China are dirty individuals who have betrayed their nation and people.

Even I, who am writing this, know that South Korea has strong military capabilities. However, this is only possible when the United States and Japan are firmly established as allies. Without the United States, South Korea is less than a scarecrow standing in a field before North Korea and China.

Some may criticize me for this, but how would they explain the situation where South Korea cannot even utter a word when its ships are attacked in Hormuz, while those advocating for self-defense remain silent?

It is not about anything else. Lee Jae-myung and the leftists are merely acting as North Korean and Chinese stooges, spewing slogans like "US military withdrawal," "transfer of wartime operational control," and "self-defense" to carry out the missions assigned by North Korea and China.

I conclude this by urging the citizens of Korea to awaken and protect the ROK-US alliance.

◆ Advisor Kim Tae-san

Advisor to the Hanmi Ilbo (South Korea-US Daily), former North Korean trading company representative in the Czech Republic. In South Korea, he has worked as the Vice President of the North Korean Social Research Institute, providing in-depth insights and experience on inter-Korean relations and North Korean issues.