Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek expressed his willingness to listen to the demands of military academy alumni for the preservation of the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, stating he would consider various opinions with an open mind. The alumni association reported that Ahn indicated the current system is also under review, raising interest in the future of the proposed integration plan for the Daejeon Army Base.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Ahn met with Park Pan-jun, president of the Army Academy Alumni Association, Lee Beom-rim, president of the Navy Academy Alumni Association, and Hwang Seong-jin, president of the Air Force Academy Alumni Association, at the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, on August 12. This was the first official meeting between the Defense Minister and the leaders of the three military academy alumni associations since the basic plan for the establishment of the Korean Military Academy was announced last month.
During the meeting, Ahn explained the background and plans for the establishment of the Korean Military Academy and requested cooperation in the restructuring of the military officer training system. The alumni leaders expressed concerns about the lack of public discourse during the integration process and requested that the military academies be maintained as they currently are.
The alumni association also requested an opportunity to meet with President Lee Jae-myung to directly explain their reasons for opposing the integration and the anticipated issues.
The integration of the military academies is a campaign promise of President Lee and one of the key national policy tasks. The Ministry of Defense announced on July 16 a basic plan to establish a four-year Korean Military Academy at the Daejeon Army Base, combining the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies. Cadets will receive common education in artificial intelligence (AI) and joint operations during their first two years, followed by specialized military training in their third and fourth years.
The Ministry of Defense maintains that integration is necessary to respond to declining school-age populations and changes in future warfare environments, as well as to efficiently utilize educational resources and personnel currently dispersed across the military branches. However, the alumni association argues that integration could undermine the professionalism, history, and traditions of each branch, calling for a reevaluation of the plan.
The Ministry of Defense plans to hold a public hearing on August 26 to gather additional opinions, with detailed plans for the establishment of the Korean Military Academy expected to be released in October.
However, the Ministry has drawn a line regarding the possibility of policy changes. A ministry official stated, "The alumni association has requested to maintain the current system, and the minister has expressed his intention to listen to various opinions with an open mind."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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