Teacher notes — Discussion & Debate
Military budgets vs public services: a high school discussion lesson
- The defense figure has two versions floating around: the original 66.3 trillion won proposal and the 65.8642 trillion won figure finalized after National Assembly review in December 2025. Either is defensible; just tell students which one you're using and why.
- The "selective volunteer" system is genuinely unsettled. The Ministry of National Defense has publicly denied reviewing a 10-month cut tied to it, even while the President has pushed for reform. Don't let students treat it as decided.
- Expect the debate to run hot if you have students with a parent in the military, defense industry, or a hospital. Let it.
- If a student asks for the GDP percentage of defense spending, tell them it's a moving target tied to a longer-term goal of reaching 3.5% of GDP by 2035, not a fixed current number worth memorizing.