Korea Military Academy Alumni Association Urges Reconsideration of Military Academy Integration Plan

The Korea Military Academy Alumni Association on Tuesday criticized the government for pushing to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force military academies and called for the plan to be reconsidered from scratch. The association expressed deep concern that the integration would weaken national security.

It claimed the government intends to merge the three academies and relocate them to Jangseon county in South Jeolla Province by 2028.

"The Korea Military Academy Alumni Association expresses deep concern over the weakening of national security that the government's current hasty plans will bring," the group said. Park Pan-joon, president of the association, stated that Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back lacks military experience and does not know what he is doing.

Park added that the association is reviewing filing damages claims over the integration plan.

The association claimed the integration could hinder cultivation of expertise for cadets and diminish combat capabilities. Shin Sang-kyun, a retired major general and member of the association, stated that integrating the academies amounts to standardization of the military rather than interoperability.

"(Integrating the military academies) is standardization, while interoperability is different armed services operating together," Shin said at a press conference.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back stated he is reviewing plans to allow freshmen and sophomores to take common courses regardless of service branch, with juniors and seniors taking branch-specific courses. Ahn cited the declining number of talented individuals entering military academies and a drop in the officer commissioning rate as reasons for creating an integrated institution.