According to South Korean media reports, the National Defense Committee of the South Korean parliament recently held a plenary meeting to sharply reduce the budget related to 30000 ton light aircraft carrier from about 7.2 billion won (1 won or about 0.005 yuan) to 500 million won. Yonhap said that the light aircraft carrier project, as a long cherished wish of the Navy, has actually been shelved. The aircraft carrier model previously displayed by Daewoo shipyard in South Korea Slash project budget According to the South Korean Defense Agency, the National Defense Committee of the Congress reduced the defense force improvement budget in the 2022 national defense budget from the original 17.3365 trillion won of the government to 16.7243 trillion won, a decrease of 612.2 billion won, the highest in history. The reduced projects mainly include the R & D of light aircraft carriers, the introduction of early warning aircraft and large attack helicopters, and the performance upgrading of f-35a. Yonhap said that the budget for the light aircraft carrier project submitted by the South Korean government includes 6.241 billion won for basic design, 848 million won for shipborne aircraft data and technical support (FMS), and 99 million won for indirect costs. Congress finally approved only 500 million won for data collection and business research. It is reported that Congress has cut the budget related to light aircraft carriers for two consecutive years, from 10.1 billion won to 100 million won last year. Han Minzu Daily said that in order to build the blueprint of "National Defense Reform 3.0" in the era of technological revolution, the government should stop introducing large weapon systems. In addition, the research and development of light aircraft carriers and nuclear powered submarines and the establishment of a rapid response division are blindly led by qingwatai. South Korean congressman Xue Xun said that although the budget subcommittee respected the Navy's demand for light aircraft carriers, it believed that the conditions for construction were not yet available. Shen Yuanzhi, a member of the "national power" of South Korea's largest opposition party, said that Congress had not reached a consensus on the necessity of light aircraft carriers. Internal causes attract attention In view of the large-scale budget reduction of light aircraft carrier and other projects by the South Korean parliament, there are many guesses and analyses in the country's public opinion circles. First, the actual combat effect has been questioned. According to Yonhap, there have been doubts about the feasibility and necessity of building aircraft carriers in South Korea. Opponents believe that a single aircraft carrier can easily become the target of anti-ship weapons and torpedoes. Second, the economy is weak and financial resources are limited. Affected by the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic and the rising price of raw materials, the economic development momentum of Korea is insufficient. Therefore, Congress pays more attention to the practicability and urgency of budget use. Han Jun's other armament plans have laid a big "stall". The sharp reduction of the aircraft carrier budget is to avoid continuing "disorderly expansion". Third, make up the East for the west to help the election. According to the Korean daily, Congress cut military spending by more than 600 billion won, but increased welfare for officers and soldiers, which helped to win votes in the election. "Chosun Ilbo" said that some people suspected that politicians cut defense spending to supplement financial resources for future presidential candidates to fulfill their campaign commitments. Fourth, there are loopholes in the procurement system. Some South Korean media pointed out that there were many loopholes in the defense procurement system centered on the defense agency. Relevant departments and personnel offered bribes to overseas military enterprises, leading to the decision of the Congress to cut the budget "as an example". South Korea's "world daily" said that the perspective of Congress and civil groups on national defense has changed and the professionalism has been continuously strengthened. If the defense agency and the military do not improve the transparency, professionalism and credibility of the procurement field, budget cuts may still occur. Navy officials expressed their determination The analysis shows that the construction cost of South Korea's light aircraft carrier is estimated to be 2 trillion won. The sharp reduction of the budget is a "heavy hammer", which makes the plan to start the specific design next year face adjustment, and the plan to put into practical deployment in 2033 may also be postponed. However, senior officials of the South Korean Navy claimed that they would not ignore the criticism, "no matter what challenges ahead, they will promote the aircraft carrier project". According to the world daily, the South Korean Defense Agency said on November 18 that the light aircraft carrier can be used to contain the North Korean threat, contain surrounding countries, and protect national life safety and national interests. It is an effective combat force to deal with all-round security threats in the future. The defense agency will strengthen cooperation with relevant departments such as the Navy and shipyards, fully demonstrate and introduce the necessity and strategic significance of light aircraft carriers, minimize risks through comprehensive preparation of core technology risk management schemes, and solidly promote the light aircraft carrier project plan according to the combat effectiveness generation time limit proposed by the military. It is commented that it remains to be seen whether the "fire" of the light aircraft carrier project can be rekindled when the New South Korean government takes office next year. (outlook new era)