Student handout — Discussion & Debate
Military budgets vs public services: a high school discussion lesson
Korea's Money: Guns or Butter?
2026 budget snapshot (total: 728 trillion won)
| Category | Amount | Change vs. 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Social welfare | 269.1 trillion won | +8.2% |
| Defense | 65.86 trillion won | +7.5% |
| R&D | 35.3 trillion won | +19.3% |
| Industry support | 32.3 trillion won | +14.7% |
| Culture | 9.6 trillion won | +8.8% |
Your task: In your group of four, move at least 5 trillion won from one category into another. Write one sentence: who wins, and who loses?
Discussion starter: "We're still technically at war with the North"; how would you answer this if you were arguing for cutting the defense budget?
Background: Current service length is 18 months (Army/Marines), 20 months (Navy), 21 months (Air Force). A "selective volunteer" system (a shorter 10-month term for some, alongside a longer career track for others) is under discussion but is not yet law.